The Feline Curse
by Nariko
Summary: She was everything normal, not to mention a terrific martial arts student...but she's a half demon. With cat ears and a tail, it's hard to live a normal life...and things are about to get weirder.
1. Chapter 1

Okay everybody, I'm back with a new series! I've hit a huge writer's block for my Spirited Away fic, and I will be trying my best to get back on it, but until then, we've got this! This is a YuYu Hakusho fic (my second-favourite anime/manga) and I've actually posted this fic as a quiz series on Quizilla, but I decided to turn it into a fic here and make it longer and not in quiz format. So technically it should be quick to finish since it's all written, though I'll have to change things. Anyways, I hope you guys like it!

So, here's the character info:

_Name_: Junsei Muzai (it means "pure innocence")

_Nickname_: Catalyn (this name replaces her original name eventually)

_Age_: 15

_Appearance_: She is tall, about 5 foot 7 I guess, with long amber hair and bright golden eyes. She always wears bandanges over her arms and usually (unless stated otherwise) ties her hair in a high ponytail.

_School_: Kasanegafuchi Jr High, the rival school of Yusuke and Kuwabara

_Other_ _info_: You'll discover other info throughout the fic

Now, here's the summary, just to refresh you guys a bit:

Catalyn was everything normal, not to mention a terrific martial arts student – but she's a half demon. With cat ears and a tail, it's almost impossible to live a normal life…and things are just about to get even weirder.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own YuYu Hakusho, or any part thereof. I do own Catalyn/Junsei Muzai/it's the same person anyways, remember that. And everything that happens to her belongs to me too. Oh, and as for the theme of the story, I couldn't decide on a second one, so right now there's only one.

Okay, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the fic!

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THE FELINE CURSE

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CHAPTER ONE – STREET BRAWL 

Catalyn was out of the school the moment the bell rang. Luckily, thanks to her speed training, she had become fast enough to avoid anyone's taunts or insults when the end of the day came around. Not that she could avoid them at any other part of the day, though. To hide her ears she was forced to leave her hair loose, something she hated doing, and it always seemed like there were two lumps sticking out of her head, so of course she got teased. As for her tail, she kept it curled up underneath her uniform skirt. She hated the uniforms. She hated everything about this school. This time, she was dropping out for good.

As she was curving the corner, now at a leisurely pace, she noticed a commotion up ahead. A bunch of Kasane guys, no doubt, but what were they doing? School had only just finished; they couldn't have been out that quickly. No, Catalyn knew they must have skipped last period. However, this little hubbub had sparked her interest, and she quietly crept over so as not to attract their attention.

When she got closer, she realized that this was in fact a street brawl. There were about ten guys her grade and the one under from her school, and two from Sarayashiki, the rival school. One was lanky-looking with curly reddish orange hair, and he had the face of an idiot. The other one was wearing a green uniform and had his black hair slicked back with gel. They were fighting excellently. It was evident to Catalyn that they had both had martial arts training, but the lanky one seemed self-taught and a bit clumsy though powerful. The black haired guy was really something, though. With a few simple jabs, he had knocked out three Kasane guys, and the lanky one scared another away.

_These Sara guys are pretty good_, she thought, leaning against a brick wall as she watched. _This is an interesting fight to watch. I wonder where they trained. Their master might even be good enough to rival mine!_

However, as the fight went on, the Kasane guys split into two groups of three, and suddenly both Sara boys were caught in strong, three-man headlocks, completely helpless and unable to escape. They struggled a little, but to no avail.

_I take back what I said,_ she thought grimly. _They're not as good as I thought. And I actually got my hopes up again. There really isn't a rival for me._

Then she noticed that the grips on the boys' necks were getting tighter and tighter, and the Kasane guys weren't about to loosen their grip. Where they doing what she thought they were doing? Were they really planning to suffocate them? A by-stander said, "Guys, I think that's enough," but the grips only got tighter.

She couldn't watch people kill others, and she was confident in her abilities. Catalyn stepped forward. "You know, boys," she said in a loud, commanding voice, "fighting's one thing, but killing's a serious crime. You've won the fight, so you'd better stop."

The boys stared at her, dumbfounded. Then they all laughed. The oldest one there, one of her classmates, sneered, "And who's gonna be the one to stop us, Junsei(+) (see below)? You? You're a girl, not to mention weak. You can't even get through a day of school without getting picked on, so how could you stop –"

He never finished his sentence. With her signature kick, Catalyn delivered a blow straight to his jaw, and he fell over, his grip broken, moaning half-consciously. All the other Kasane guys stopped squeezing harder and stared at her in shock. The Sara punks seized the opportunity to wipe out the rest of the guys until they were all either knocked out or had run away.

Catalyn gave the boys a grin. The redhead looked at her oddly, and the other one's eyes narrowed. "Do you boys want to fight me too, or are you going to thank me for saving your necks?" she demanded.

The one with the gelled hair glared. "I could have beaten them on my own. I was taking it easy on them."

"They had you in a headlock, and you were about to be killed!" she exclaimed indignantly.

"I was making it look that way," he replied, exasperated. "Besides, why would I need the help of a _demon_ girl?"

Catalyn stopped short, staring in surprise. "How – how can – how can you tell?" she spluttered.

The tall lanky guy looked a little surprised himself, but the other one was looking straight at her, his face hard. "It was obvious," he said. "Only demons can have an aura like yours, and you've made no attempt to even hide it."

She glared at them. She'd never thought there'd be people with a strong bit of sixth sense around, so she never bothered hiding her aura. Looking around, she thankfully noted that no one else was nearby, so the two Sara punks were the only ones that knew.

The redhead spoke up in a deep, ugly-sounding voice. "So, what's a pretty demon like yourself doing at a place like Kasane?"

"I'm dropping out," she answered shortly. She took her opportunity to analyze the boys' spiritual strengths. She was good at using this knowledge to figuring out their abilities without ever having witnessed them. She saw that the lanky one had a strong sixth sense and could channel his aura into a sword-like weapon. The other one had a weaker sixth sense but a stronger aura and could channel it into his fists or fingers to fire massive charges. She had heard of techniques like that before. This one possessed the abilities of the spirit gun and the shotgun.

"So," the spirit gun guy said, "what business do you have in the human world?"

"I've lived here all my life," Catalyn replied, "and I'm not about to move. My name is Junsei."

The lanky one introduced himself as Kazuma Kuwabara, and the other one followed suit. His name was Yusuke Urameshi. Not that she really cared much for their names. But now that she knew them, she was going to try to avoid them as much as possible.

She picked up her schoolbag, which she had dropped after kicking the Kasane guy. "Well boys, I've got to get home know," she said coolly. "I see I won't be getting a thank-you from you anytime soon…oh, and don't try to follow me home just cause I'm a demon. And I'll trust you with keeping my secret quiet. Good day." With that, she turned and walked away, her hair swishing behind her.

Fifteen minutes later, after walking straight into a thick forest, Catalyn had reached the small clearing far from the forest path where stood a small log cabin. Once there, she pushed the door open and flung her bag to a corner in the room, calling, "Sensei, I'm home!"

Uneasy footsteps made the stairs at the other end of the room creak, and a short, skinny man comes down to greet you. His bald spot shines in what little light the cabin had, and he wore a white karate outfit with a black belt. He had a long white moustache and small, beady eyes that radiated wisdom and slight craziness.

Catalyn bowed as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "How was your day, sensei?"

Her sensei chuckled. His voice was strong yet wavered of age at the same time. Both powerful and weak, both happy and sad. "I had a marvelous day, thank you, Catalyn" he said with a smile. Then, in a serious (but light-hearted at the same time) tone, he added, "So, you've decided to drop out for good this time?"

Startled that he knew, she answered, "Yes, sensei. I really can't stand it anymore." Spurred to keep going, she added quickly, "I'd much rather spend my days here training with you!"

He laughed again. "Same fighting spirit as your father, yet the breathtaking beauty of your mother holds true in you." She beamed, happy to be compared to her father, but blushed, because there was no way she was any near as pretty as her mother. He continued, "But if you're really that eager, go upstairs to change and we'll begin right away."

Catalyn rushed upstairs to her room, a small room with a simple dresser and a bed. She threw off her school uniform, and then put on her training outfit (one similar to that of Rei from the Beyblade anime, season 3). Next she tied her hair up in her usual high ponytail, letting the ears show. Then, before going downstairs again, she looked at the photograph of her and her parents. A beautiful woman with long amber hair and sparkling green eyes holds a small pink bundle (her as a baby), and next to the pair, her tall father stands with a proud smile. _My mother is so much prettier than I am,_ she thought firmly, and rushed downstairs to begin her training.

Once down, she grinned at her sensei. There was only one room, with a small kitchen in the corner near the stairs and a wooden table close to the ground with no chairs. It wasn't much, but to Catalyn, it was everything. It was home.

"Always eager, aren't you?" her sensei asked with a smile. "Come outside, and we'll try to tackle the Beast again."

Catalyn groaned as she followed him outside, where the cool, fresh air breezed around her. This was the only part of her training that she could never master. But it wasn't her fault. Even her sensei couldn't control the Beast. It was just too hard. But she had to do it. Failure was the only other option for her if she didn't learn to master it.

"Ready?" he asked her. "I will use my powers to draw it out, but the rest is up to you."

Catalyn sighed, then nodded, her face set. "Okay."

-Meanwhile, in Koenma's office in the Spirit World-

"So, you saw a demon girl in the streets?" Koenma asked incredulously. "But we have no records of any demons living in your area."

"And she's got a strong aura," Yusuke adds. "She doesn't hide it."

Botan, in her pink kimono, said, "And yet she's always attended your rival school…why don't we have any records of it, then?" She flipped through a large record book, then slammed it shut in despair.

"It's definitely fishy," Koenma said. "All right, I'll have you boys capture her and bring her in for questioning."

Kuwabara protested immediately. "But she's a girl! That's against my code!"

Yusuke hit him on the head. "She could be planning something dangerous, you dolt," he reprimanded him. "Besides, I can take her by myself. I've got the spirit gun. I'd like to see the girl beat _that_!" He marched out of the room, with Kuwabara following him dejectedly.

Botan looked at her boss strangely. "For some reason, I have a feeling she will."

-Back where Catalyn is-

Catalyn awoke to the sound of running water. There was a sweet smell in the air…wait, it wasn't water; it was tea. She bolted upright, and found herself back in the cabin, on a small carpet next to the table. "What happened? Did I do it?" She looked around and saw her sensei pouring her a cup of tea. He gave it to her, and she sipped it gratefully. She asked again, after she swallowed, "What happened, sensei?"

Her sensei sighed and said nothing for a moment. Then he said gravely, "Catalyn, child, all our hard work was for nothing. You alone will not be able to get rid of it. What we need…is Kitkit."

Tears flooded her eyes as her heart sank like a stone. "But…she could be anywhere, not even in this world," she sobbed. "How will I ever be able to find her?"

"It's not hopeless," he told her gently. "There is a way. You must –"

Catalyn would never hear him finish his sentence. At that second, there was a flash of light, a crashing noise, and the entrance door crumpled to the floor in a million splintered pieces.

* * *

I hoped you liked it! Please review, I'd love to know what you think! 

(+)Catalyn uses her real name in school, but nowhere else. It's a name she's pretty much discarded.


	2. Chapter 2

Yay another chappie! Special thanks to my three reviewers! And so, to make a rule, I'll update after every three reviews. So review please!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own YYH. Thank you and enjoy.

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CHAPTER TWO – NEW MISSION

The door crashed to the ground as Catalyn leaped to her feet in shock. Footsteps sounded outside, and two shadows entered through the doorway.

"Catalyn," her sensei whispered. "Get your mask. Go!"

Obediently she stealthily hurried up the stairs and into the safe sanctuary of her room. On her dresser, next to the picture of her parents, lay a black mask that covered the upper half of her face but left small slits for her eyes. She put in on, making sure it was tight, and crept back down the stairs.

Her sensei stood as tall as he could get with his back stiff, and across from him at the other end of the room stood two familiar faces: Yusuke and Kuwabara, the Sarayashiki boys she had helped out in the street brawl! She stifled a gasp and hid behind the staircase so as not to be seen. But she still had a good view of the scene before her.

"What are you boys doing, breaking into the humble home of an elderly man like myself?" her sensei asked them, making good use of his wavering old voice.

Yusuke didn't seem bothered at all. "Listen, old man," he sneered. "We're here for a girl called Junsei Muzai. Tell us where she is."

Catalyn stifled yet another gasp. They were after her! But why?

"I'm afraid you are mistaken," her sensei answered smoothly. "There is no Junsei Muzai here."

"Guess we found the wrong place," Kuwabara said stupidly, and her heart leaped over mountains.

But Yusuke frowned. "You're lying, aren't you?" he said. "Because her schoolbag's right here in this corner. I recognize it. And I can sense a demonic aura in here."

Catalyn covered her mouth with her hands to keep herself from crying out. _I should have moved it!_ she moaned to herself. _And I should have tried to hide my aura! _

But Yusuke didn't stop there. Triumphantly he said, "I'm Yusuke Urameshi, Spirit World detective, and I'm here to arrest her, and you too if you don't cooperate!"

Catalyn racked her brain for ideas in a panic. They would even try to arrest her sensei? But he'd done nothing wrong! But maybe she'd be able to fight them off. Yes, that was a good plan. She was sure she could beat them. She leapt out from her hiding spot.

"Get back, stupid girl!" her sensei yelled angrily. "I told you to stay hidden!" With his hand, he sent a blast of aura, hitting her squarely in the stomach and pushing her into the wall, hard. She stared at him weakly, gasping from the pain in her back. Why was he hurting her with hisreiki techniques? (+)

"A cat girl?" Kuwabara exclaims. "Junsei Muzai is a cat girl?"

"Junsei?" her sensei asked, laughing. There was no trace of weakness in his voice now. "No, she's just another of my captives. Like Junsei is. Or should I say, WAS."

"Was?" Both boys asked.

_What is he thinking?_ Catalyn wondered. _What is he trying to do?_

"That's right, was," her sensei said with a sharp laugh. "But no more. She wasn't up to the challenge of being my slave, so I killed her! And I was about to kill this slave of mine as well, but I can't have you reporting me to Spirit World, so I'll just have to kill you boys too!"

"NO!" she cried. She knew what he was planning on doing. She knew he was making this all up to try to save her, but it would only get him in trouble. She couldn't stand the thought of it. "You can't do this! I won't let you!"

She had been trying to tell him, "I won't let you sacrifice yourself for my sake!" but he merely gave her a cold stare (and a slight wink), and said, "And you have the strength to stop me? I think not!"

The boys, however, thought she was saying, "I won't let you kill these boys," which was completely untrue. She could hear Kuwabara muttering to Yusuke, "We have to save her. I can't let a cat – or a pretty girl – especially not a mix of both – get hurt."

Looking into her sensei's cold eyes that showed no signs of familiarity, Catalyn sensed defeat. He was really going to follow through with this. Tears stung her eyes for the second time that day, but Yusuke and Kuwabara mistook them for tears of pain and fear, not love for her sensei. They charged for him, but he dodged. Kuwabara created an aura sword and tried to slash him, but he dodged again. This time Yusuke fired a spirit gun, and it collided with him, causing Catalyn to scream – and created an explosion. When it cleared, her sensei was gone.

She gave a shuddering gasp. _He's gone! He really did it! No!_

Then Kuwabara was next to her, clasping one of her hands. "Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned. She made a face. His breath stank. Then she slapped him. "Yeow!" he yelled in pain, staggering away.

She struggled to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. Her back was killing her.

"So, who are you?" Yusuke asks her.

She couldn't use the name Junsei with these boys anymore. She had to use her replacement name. "I'm Catalyn," she said dully.

"Suits you," Kuwabara said. "It's pretty, you're pretty, and you're a cat."

"I wasn't always!" she burst out accidentally.

"Huh?"

She sighed, realizing that she'd have to tell them her story. "A year and a half ago, on my fourteenth birthday, my pet cat revealed herself to be a demon. She demonified me that day, and gave me fire powers as well. But I hate being this way. I was trying to find her to get her to make me normal again, but..." Then she started making things up. "But I met that man, and I've been his prisoner ever since."

"Oh, you poor thing," Kuwabara said. He took her once again by the hand. "But never fear, Catalyn. These ears only make you even more gorgeous!" Catalyn slapped him harder this time, the force of it sending him flying across the room.

"Hey, I thinkI can finda way to find that furball of yours," Yusuke said. "After all, I am the Spirit World detective."

She thought about this. Yes…she could trust them. They probably even knew King Enma Jr, someone who would definitely be able to help. "Are you sure?" she asked him.

He nodded fervently. "Oh yeah! And we can even get Kurama and Hiei to help…" He kept going, but she didn't care for whoever Kurama and Hiei were. She was too busy pondering over the matter.

"Okay," said. "I'll give you three months. I'll work with you guys till then, but after that, I'm on my own again."

Yusuke shook her hand. "Deal," he said. "Now come on, let's go and meet Koenma. We've got a portal waiting outside."

Catalyn took one last look at her home for the past year and a half, and turned away. Then she followed Yusuke and Kuwabara into the portal, officially entering Koenma's office.

And there he sat at his desk, in the form of a little toddler with a pacifier. Yusuke and Kuwabara filled him in on the details, and he observed her thoughtfully. "Catalyn, was it?" he said. She nodded. "Well, I don't have any records of a demon cat around here, but I will do all I can to help you out."

"Thank you, Koenma sir," she said gratefully.

Yusuke muttered under his breath, "No need to be respectful to that little toddler." She grinned.

Just then, Botan the Grim Reaper burst through the doors, frantic. "Koenma sir, there's been a break-in from demon city! A demon has entered Yusuke's hometown, looking for demons to challenge it! And it's killing everything else in its path!"

"Okay, Botan, that's enough," Koenma said. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Catalyn, I'm sending you three to get rid of the demon. I'll send for Kurama and Hiei to help you."

Catalyn stared at Koenma. "Why me? This isn't part of the deal I made with Yusuke –"

"You said you'd work with him, but you never fully specified that point," Koenma pointed out.

Catalyn glared angrily, sensing defeat. Then she followed Yusuke and Kuwabara through another portal.

-In the human world-

Catalyn leaned against a tree near a playground near the two rival schools with Yusuke and Kuwabara, quite unwillingly. But a deal was a deal, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Then Kuwabara exclaimed, "Two demons, coming this way."

Immediately she tensed into her fighting stance. Neither Kuwabara nor Yusuke moved. Two human-looking boys emerged. One had long red hair and green eyes, with a peaceful look to him. The other was very short, with spiky black hair and red eyes. He wore a headband that kept some bangs back. He was frowning. They both had powerful demonic auras. She was just about to charge when Yusuke walked over to them, saying, "I was wondering if you two were ever going to show up!" Startled, she looked from the strangers to Yusuke. Yusuke said, "Oh, yeah, Catalyn, this is Kurama and Hiei." He clapped a hand on the runt's shoulder, who slapped it away.

"Nice to meet you," Kurama said politely. Hiei frowned at her. She frowned back, trying to stare him down. He muttered something inaudible, but she knew it was an insult.

"Say it louder," she snapped. Hiei merely glared. "Why, you –" She was about to charge him when in the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of her, a katana pointed at her throat. She flinched but kept up her glare.

"Talking back to me will be your death wish," he said menacingly.

She was about to use her specialty kick on him when Kurama said, "Okay Hiei, that's enough." Hiei and Catalyn glared at each other one last time, and he sheathed his katana and walked away.

"Well," Yusuke said in a falsely cheery voice. "Shall we split up, then?"

"As long as I'm not with the runt," she objected immediately.

"Fine," Yusuke said. "Hiei and Kurama will go together and Catalyn can come with us."

"Yeah," Kuwabara joined in. "We can get to know each other and –"

Catalyn twirled her foot around, kicking him hard in the stomach. "In your dreams, baka (+)," she muttered. "I think I'll walk by myself." And so she did.

Five minutes later, she was still walking through the woods with no luck at finding the demon. As she walked, she began singing to herself.

"What a lovely voice. I wonder if your scream is as beautiful."

Whirling around, Catalyn saw a vampire demon facing her with a sly smile. He was dressed all in black with long fangs and a cape with a red inside. Before she could say or do anything, strings of blood flowed from the cape and surrounded her like ropes. She gave a cry of disgust and tried to wipe herself clean.

"Hello there, sweet little kitty demon," the vampire demon simpered with a smile. It's a pleasure to meet you." She glared. Hurt, he said, "What, you aren't happy to meet me?"

Catalyn struggled to push the ropes of blood off, but they were hard as steel, holding her tight, pressing her arms to her sides. "That depends on whether or not you're going to kill me."

"I'd like to kill you for your powers, but right now I want something else," the demon said. "I'd much rather you sing for me."

"No," she answered flatly. "Not in a million years. Besides, you'll never get my powers from me."

"I've already started," he said with a grin. With that, an army of bats flew out from his cape and latched themselves onto her skin, hungrily sucking up the blood ropes. Their claws dug into her, causing her to bleed, and the bats started to focus on sucking up her blood. "These bats feed solely on a demon's blood, sucking on their powers, which I in turn get from them. And once all your blood is gone, it's bye-bye for you. Unless of course, you decide to sing for me."

It was an easy choice to make, she realized as she felt herself almost immediately getting dizzy. It was either life or death. "Fine, I'll sing for you," she muttered, and instantly the bats flew back under the cape. Shaken from losing blood, but still strong, she closed her eyes and began to sing. It was easily her best performance ever. Every note she hit dead on. But with her eyes closed, she failed to notice the tiny beads of light flowing from the blood strings all over her neck and under. Then, in the middle of the song, she felt the immense lack of energy. She opened her eyes, and saw the vampire demon, now mere inches away from her. Everything turned to a dark haze, and too late she realized what had happened. She pitched forward, still singing as the world went blank.

* * *

(+) Catalyn's sensei is well trained in reiki arts, and has taught her some of these as well as the martial arts. 

(+) Baka is Japanese for idiot, fool, moron, simpleton, and any other word with the same meaning.


	3. Chapter 3

Oh, by the way, I have changed this fic to have main characters Kurama and then Hiei, because though they aren't the main characters in the story, they become the next most important characters after Catalyn. Just so you know.

Now, let me ask you readers a question: why am I updating? I haven't gotten any reviews for the last chapter, so what reason do I have to update? How do I know people are liking my story, and therefore I should continue? The answers: There is no reason to update, and I don't know if people like my fic because of the lack of reviews. But, I am updating because it's Christmastime. So happy holidays to everybody, and please let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own YYH. If I did, I'd be the happiest person on the planet.

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CHAPTER THREE – RECOVERY

Many things had happened while Catalyn was unconscious, so of course she knew nothing of them. What she did know, however, was that there were hushed voices all around her. She felt something warm and soft against her back. She was lying down on this, and her eyelids were heavy. Part of her didn't want to open them, but she was so confused as to what was going on that she forced them open.

Only blurriness awaited her at first, but after a few hard blinks, she noticed someone with long red hair and emerald green eyes watching her intently. His face broke into a smile as he called to someone unknown, "She's awake." A door opened and shut somewhere in the room. She racked her brains, trying to figure out who that person was. She knew she had seen him before, very recently, actually – Kurama!

And everything else came back to her so quickly she felt like her skull was exploding. The demon! She was singing – and then – what the hell was going on? She bolted upright, exclaiming in a panicked voice, "What happened?" but her vision swam so badly that she fell backwards, back into what she now recognized as a bed.

"Take it easy, now," Kurama coaxed gently. "Don't get too excited yet; you might pass out again."

Her head was pounding, and she felt sick. "What's wrong with me?" she asked weakly.

Kurama was momentarily spared of answering her when the door burst open and three people came running through. This time her brain was quicker to remember them as Yusuke, Botan, and Kuwabara. Following them slowly was Hiei, frowning as what she remembered was usual.

"You're awake!" Yusuke yelled as he barged in. "About time!"

"Are you feeling better?" Kuwabara asked, sounding quite worried, but Catalyn couldn't really care less for how he felt about her.

"I'm fine," Catalyn lied to them. She didn't want to admit that she felt extremely weak and sick. She had always hated being considered weak. Then she asked her question again: "What happened to me?"

"Hiei found you," Kurama explained. "He got there before any of us, so he knows what happened best. I'll let him explain." Everyone turned to Hiei. He glared at Kurama, then at Catalyn, who returned the glare, and made no reply. With a sigh, Kurama continued. "When we got there the vampire demon was dead, and you were bleeding badly, especially from your arms and your neck."

That's when Catalyn realized that her entire upper body was covered in bandages, except for her head, but there was a small patch on her cheek. Some of the bandages were a bit wet from blood, and she figured they would have to be changed soon.

"You've been unconscious for two days now," Botan said with a smile. "I'm really quite surprised you're already okay. You lost so much blood. You're made of pretty tough stuff."

"Probably from your demon side, eh?" Yusuke commented. Catalyn nodded, though she'd much rather not have a demon side at all. Then he looked at her weirdly and asked, "Hey, what happened to you before you got knocked out?"

Catalyn thought about it for a moment, trying to remember what happened, and then the fog covering her mind cleared and she was able to recall everything up until the point where she had passed out. "Well, he had these bat minions of his that were sucking up all of my blood and energy, but he said he'd spare me if I sang for him so I agreed but then…" She trailed off, not wanting to say the words, "I fainted", but they all understood.

Then a harsh voice said, "You IDIOT." Everyone looked at Hiei, the speaker, with surprised looks on their faces. Catalyn frowned at him but said nothing. Hiei took a step forwards. He had been lurking in the shadows, by the door, but now that he had stepped into the light, she was able to see his full expression – a face full of scorn. "You gave yourself up to him completely! You were asking for him to kill you by doing that! He was sucking up your energy through your voice, through the strings of blood he had around your neck. He was an inch away from biting you – and his fangs would have killed you instantly!"

Catalyn felt as though she'd been punched in the chest. She realized his point, but couldn't admit to it, for that would make it seem like she was weak. "What else could I do?" she demanded, struggling to sit up.

"Easy," cautioned Kurama, but she paid him no mind. She was too angry now.

"You should have attacked him while you had the chance, baka onna!" Hiei snapped.

"And when did I have the chance?" she retorted at the top of her lungs.

"Figure it out, bitch!" he roared.

That was the last straw. Out of everything Hiei had done so far, nothing had hit her as hard as that did. Her temper flared as she bolted up, her aura bursting out around her, ready to unleash itself upon Hiei, but suddenly there was a stabbing pain in her chest, and it was as if a TV was shutting off as the world blanked out around her.

In the blink of an eye, she was bolt upright again. The world instantly faded away and she fell back, but this time, strong, gentle hands caught her around the shoulders and steadied her into a sitting position. Blinking slowly, her vision cleared. Kurama was helping her up, and the rest of the room was empty. She looked around wildly, not understanding what just happened. Where had everyone gone so quickly? What happened to her?

"Kurama…" she whispered in a shaky voice. She tried to put on a normal tone, but she was so scared that her breaths came out in huge gasps as she began to cry. She hadn't felt this type of fear since the day she'd been demonified. It was terrible.

"You fainted from shock and fatigue, I think," Kurama said quietly. "I warned Hiei to be gentle with you when you first woke up, but…when he really wants to speak his mind, nothing will stop him."

She tried desperately to blink back her tears, to make them all stop, but they just came down harder. _No!_ Catalyn thought. _Why must this happen to me in front of him?_

Kurama gave her a pat on the back. "You don't have to be ashamed of crying," he told her. She started and stared at him, the tears still going. "I won't tell the others if you don't want me to. And I don't think you're weak or anything. In fact, quite the opposite. I think you're very strong, both mentally and physically."

Catalyn smiled through the waterfalls running down her cheeks. "Thanks," she managed to say.

As the tears began to slow down, Kurama said, "You're very strong to have held out so long against that vampire demon. And you made it out okay. Well, except for those scars on your arms."

She jerked up, looking at him with wide eyes. "Scars?" she asked in shock.

Kurama nodded sympathetically. "Yes, I noticed them when I was bandaging your arms up. I think they might be permanent."

"It's okay," Catalyn told him with a shuddering sigh, wiping her eyes.

"And don't worry about Hiei," Kurama told her. "He's a good person. You'll see."

With the help of some Kleenex tissues (thank goodness for Kleenex!), Catalyn was finally able to dry the remainder of her tears. Kurama retreated from her bedside to a couch in a corner of the room. That was when she asked the question that had been nagging her: "Where did everyone go?"

"They all left after you passed out," Kurama said solemnly. "You should have heard them all, yelling at Hiei for getting you worked up. Besides, you weren't looking good at all. Your face was – and still is – quite pale. You shouldn't be doing anything active for the next few days while you get your strength back."

Catalyn groaned at this comment. "I've never stayed awake in bed for more than ten minutes," she muttered.

Kurama smiled. "You'll live through it," he said. "We'll all keep you company in the meantime, so it won't be so bad."

"As long as Hiei doesn't badger me," she said with feeling. "I hate him."

"He won't," Kurama assured her. "In fact, I don't think he'll bother you for a while now. He doesn't show it, but I can tell he feels guilty about what happened."

_Yeah, right,_ she thought sarcastically. _Like Hiei would ever feel guilty about something._

A knock sounds at the door. Catalyn looked at Kurama, who shrugged and became interested in the fox-shaped cloud out the window. "Come in," she called.

The door opened and Botan rushed in, looking positively delighted about something. "Oh, you're up!" she said, surprised. Then she got to the point, or almost did. "Guess what?"

"What?" Catalyn asked her, confused. What on earth could be making her so happy?

Botan hurried to her bedside. "We have a lead on the demon cat!" she exclaimed.

Catalyn nearly jumped out of the bed for joy, but she didn't have the strength to, and it probably wasn't a good idea anyway. "What? Really?"

"Really!" Botan confirmed, nodding enthusiastically. "We can't pinpoint her exact location because she's off in a different dimension right now, but we're keeping tabs on her!"

"Botan, that's awesome!" Catalyn said. "When do we start?"

Botan stared. "I beg your pardon?"

"When do we start?" she repeated. "You know, looking for her."

The Grim Reaper threw her head back and laughed. "You're so excited you probably have no idea how tired you must be! You wouldn't last a minute out there in that shape. You need to get better first." She said all of this in an I-know-what's-best-for-you type voice, which Catalyn didn't like. She scowled.

"Don't worry about it too much," Kurama said with a smile. "You'll get your shot eventually. And once you're back in shape, Koenma will have found her exact location."

Catalyn nodded, trying to hide her frustration. Botan turned to leave the room, saying, "I'll be bringing you your dinner soon so you can eat in bed…later!" She winked and shut the door behind her.

After she had left, Catalyn was struck by a sudden thought. "Kurama, where exactly are we?"

Kurama smiled, as if he'd been wondering when she would ask him that. "We're in Spirit World, Koenma's headquarters," he explained. "We had to deliver a report to Koenma after completing the mission, and we needed to get you medical attention, so he prepared this room for you. We couldn't take you to a Human World hospital with those ears and tail of yours. Well, I'm going to get myself a bite to eat," he added, rising from his chair. "I'll come back later."

"Okay," Catalyn said, and he strode out of the room, making sure to close the door behind him.

During this time alone, she was able to reflect on what had happened during the past few days. A sudden pang in her chest confirmed her doubts about her sensei, and whether or not he was safe. There was also something else on her mind…her secret…how long would she be able to hide it from them? Kurama had almost discovered it…she sincerely hoped that she could find Kitkit before they figured it out.

Eventually, she completely forgot that Botan was going to bring her some food. Her exhaustion had already carried her off to sleep.

-later-

Catalyn ended up staying in bed for three more days. Yusuke and Kuwabara dropped by occasionally, but they never stayed long –Yusuke because he'd get bored, and Kuwabara because she kicked him out after he'd start sweet-talking (she couldn't literally throw him out, but she did come up with some good threats). Hiei stopped by once because the boys had picked out of a hat who would bring her lunch one day, and luck had not been on his side. However, the two of them did not say a word to each other. They didn't even look at each other. Botan came whenever she could, but her duties as the Grim Reaper took a lot of time out of her busy schedule. She would tell her about Kitkit (still no exact location) and helped to change her bandages, never noticing the scars on her arms.

But it was Kurama who was with her the most. He would talk with her for a couple of hours at a time. He told Catalyn a lot about himself, like how he was really a demon called Yoko Kurama in the body of a human. In turn, she told him everything about herself except for her secret and the whole sensei thing, because no doubt he had heard the alternate story already. She felt very guilty about lying to him since he was such a nice, understanding guy, but that couldn't be helped.

Finally, the day came when Botan told her that she could get out of bed. In her excitement, she trapped Botan in the biggest bear hug she could muster. Botan laughed. "Hey, you're still out of shape, Catalyn. Keep that in mind. Oh, and Koenma wants you to start training with Hiei until your strength returns and your skills can match his before he sends you to find your cat."

"WHAT?" Catalyn yelled. "With HIEI!"

"You'll have to put up with it if you want to find Kitkit," Botan told her seriously. On a brighter note, she added, "Oh, yeah, the boys are going on another mission this evening, and though you haven't recovered yet, Koenma would like you to go with them."

Catalyn stopped thinking of vulgar words towards the little demon and asked, "Why, then?"

"Well, the boys will be able to look after you if things don't go too well, and it will serve as good training," Botan said. "So, meet Koenma at five o-clock sharp in his office, and he'll give you the details."

"Okay," Catalyn said, and Botan left her so that she could get ready.

A new mission so soon. But then again, Botan was probably right. She'd get some good training and would be able to get back in shape. She grinned suddenly with excitement.

This was going to be fun.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everybody! Terribly sorry, I kinda forgot all about this site after my computer yet again got bombarded with viruses. It's no fun, I tell you. And somehow I've miraculously made it through without losing anything...yet. So, gomen nasai, I'll try to be much faster from now on, thanks to everyone who reviewed. .

**Disclaimer**: I do not own YYH. But Catalyn is mine...ALL MINE! Ahem. Enjoy.

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CHAPTER FOUR – CONVERSATIONS AND SECRETS

Catalyn got out of bed gingerly and stretched, stifling a bit of a yawn. _I've been in a bed so long it seems I've gotten accustomed to sleeping_, she thought with a small furrow of her eyebrows. She went over to the mirror in the room and inspected herself. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection, unravelling her bandages so she could put on some clean ones. Then she stuck her tongue at the scars on her arms before clean bandages hid them once more. Her hair had been loose while she spent her time in bed, so she used some extra bandage to tie it into its usual high ponytail. She stretched a little bit more, still regarding her figure. "It'll have to do until I get back in shape," she sighed. "My muscles are shrinking." Then she left for Koenma's office.

Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara were already there. The toddler that was Koenma stood on his desk, starting when she walked through the door. "Oh, good, Catalyn, you made it," he said. "I thought you'd be a little late."

"I can't afford to be late for missions," she muttered under her breath. Kurama heard her and smiled. She felt her cheeks turn slightly pink. Even though she'd become good friends with him, she still got a little bit nervous when she was around him, but she was controlling herself quite well.

Koenma was explaining the mission. "There's been another break-in," he said, "but not into the human world, thank goodness. There's a special realm adjacent to the demon world, kind of like a different dimension. A whole city of demon outcasts lives there, and they've all joined up to try and destroy the Underworld. We've already caught a trio sneaking in to the secret vaults, trying to steal the treasures Kurama and Hiei once stole – I'm sure you all remember that."

Catalyn gasped, her head snapping away from Koenma to stare at Kurama. Kurama hadn't told her about this! He'd been a thief! Kurama met her eyes, suddenly looking guilty. Hiei gave her an I'm-better-than-you glare, which she returned. She could just picture Hiei as a thief on the Underworld's Most Wanted list, but not Kurama…

Then she realized that Koenma was speaking again: "…got a lot of information out of them, so now we're sending you to that realm and destroy the council of ten leaders that are the cause of this mayhem. All of the other demons there are virtually harmless compared to your strength, unlike the Ten, which is why they submitted to their will. So, your mission is to defeat the Ten and sign a peace treaty with the lower-level demons. Is that understood?"

"Yes," they all answered, some with more heart than others.

"Good," Koenma said, nodding. "I'll be sending Botan with you because I've given her more detailed information about the Ten that should prove useful." Botan, who was standing at the door, nodded and smiled. Koenma proceeded to open a portal at their feet. "This will take you there," he said. "Whenever you're ready, jump in."

Hiei stepped right into it and vanished. Kurama followed shortly.

"L-ladies first," Kuwabara said, motioning to Catalyn.

She nodded and jumped, instantly feeling like she was falling off the face of the earth. She wasn't uncomfortable, though. She had been trained not to panic in the face of the unknown. Okay, so she messed up with the vampire demon, but she wasn't going to let that happen again. Things were clearing up, and she saw ground below. She braced herself to land on all fours, with her tail ready to balance her, but she fell right –

…Into Kurama's arms. She blinked, surprised, as he stood her up. "I could have landed by myself, you know," she said instantly.

"I know," he replied. They were standing on a large plain, with only one tree in sight and a river to their left. Hiei was sitting in the tree. "We'll be waiting a while."

"Why's that?" Catalyn asked.

"Kuwabara's a bit afraid of heights," Kurama said solemnly. "And falling through dark holes, even more so."

Catalyn giggled. "So his toughness is just a bad act," she laughed, then suddenly became serious, remembering what she had just heard minutes ago. "Kurama…you were once an enemy of the Underworld?"

Kurama sighed in a way that made her wonder if he was expecting this question. But he explained, "I teamed up with Hiei and another demon called Goki so that I could steal a device to save my ill mother's life. It wasn't a decision made lightly…but I couldn't let my mother die. It was my only option."

"Oh." Suddenly, Catalyn had a flashback of her sensei, lying to Yusuke and Kuwabara so that she wouldn't get into trouble. She smiled at Kurama. "I guess sometimes you have to do a bad thing to help someone you care about." He grinned back, happy that she understood. "Besides," she continued, "I probably would have found out sooner or later. All secrets find their way into the open eventually, I guess."

Suddenly there was a yell and a terrible crash. Catalyn whirled around to see Yusuke standing next to the lump on the ground that was Kuwabara. Botan suddenly landed safely next to them.

"Took you long enough," Catalyn said sarcastically to Kuwabara. "Next time, take longer and keep us waiting some more."

Hiei jumped down from the tree. Yusuke raised his eyebrows. "Nice scenery," he commented. "So, Botan, where to?"

Botan pointed in the direction of the river. "We follow the river due south," she said. "The Ten have a castle in that direction, which is where we'll find them and also where the city is. It's the only inhabited place in this realm."

So they all began marching single file down the river, with Yusuke in the lead, followed by Botan, Kuwabara, Catalyn, Kurama, and then Hiei bringing up the rear. As they all walked, Yusuke and Kuwabara began arguing over who would fight the first demon.

"Those two," she muttered. "Together they're almost as bad as Hiei."

"Don't say that," Kurama chided, coming up beside her. "Hiei's really not as bad as you think. Granted, he is harsh most of the time, but his heart's in the right place." Catalyn snorted. Kurama gave her a serious look. "I know you've got a grudge against him for what he did to you, but he really does feel guilty about it."

"He has a funny way of showing it," Catalyn snapped. She looked back at Hiei. He simply glares with his usual glare. She wondered if he had heard them, and then turned back to Kurama.

"Of course he has a funny way of showing it," Kurama said in a lower tone. "Just get to know him. He's developed a reputation that he likes to uphold. Admitting he feels guilt would ruin it. And he'd never hear the end of it from Yusuke and Kuwabara."

Catalyn smiled, and looked at Hiei again. He stared boldly back. "I could never get to know a guy like him," she stated in a final sort of way, and picked up her pace, leaving Kurama behind, so she could speak with Botan, who had dropped behind Yusuke and Kuwabara so as not to hear their arguing as much. "Hey, Botan, what can you tell me about the Ten?"

Botan grinned at her. "I guess you're the type who likes to think things through first. That's good, because Kurama's the only one out of these idiots who does." They both grinned. Botan leafed through some of the papers she'd been holding. "The Ten, as well as the other demons there, are all half-breeds of some sort who weren't wanted. They can be half fire, half ice, like Hiei, and things like that."

That's when Catalyn realized that the sun was almost finished setting. "We should stop and set up camp here for the night," Kurama suggested.

"Yes," Botan agreed. "I've brought tents in my backpack. We'll surely reach the castle by tomorrow."

Catalyn bent over the river, letting the water run through her fingers. It was cool and refreshing. But there is a sudden yell of "KAWABUNGA!" and a tsunami pours over her, completely drenching her clothes. She glared at Kuwabara for making such a cannonball. Then she heard Yusuke's cry of "YEEHA!" and dove backwards, narrowly avoiding getting wet again.

"IDIOTS! BOTH OF YOU!" she screeched at them as they laughed. Then she felt her scars itching. She groaned, and began to walk further away from the river in case the boys tried to splash her again. She didn't even stop to help Botan and Kurama set up the tents.

"Where are you going?" Botan asked.

"To take a walk," she muttered in reply. "I need to get away from those jerks."

As she continued to follow the river, a large shadow began to loom over her. Looking up, she saw a replica of the Great Wall of China towering over her, surrounding what she was positive was the demon city. There was a profound stench of demons coming from behind the wall. The doors must have been at least ten times her height, but she wasn't at all fazed. She began to jog towards the wall, and continued to pick up speed the closer she got. About a few metres from the doors, she leaped into the air, hit the door, and ran up it on her hands and feet. When gravity tried to overcome her, she used her tail as a spring and soared to the top of the wall. She grabbed the edge and held on for a little bit, letting her legs swing. Then she flipped over the top and landed on a sort of balcony.

She looked around. There were no demons on the wall. But towards the ground, she saw a few demons patrolling the streets of seemingly human-made wooden houses. The city was huge, and in the middle of it all was the castle, almost as tall as the wall was. This was a good opportunity for her to get to work. She pointed her palm in the direction of one of the demons, taking careful aim. A ball of flame formed, and in a simple act of concentration, it was hurled at the demon. It shrieks and quickly perishes. Catalyn absorbed its life energy and moved on to kill the two other demons that were on patrol in case they had seen her. Satisfied with the energy she'd received, she leaped over to the other side again, landing neatly on her feet with the help of her tail.

As she jogged back to the camp, she reflected upon her little conversation with Kurama. _"All secrets find their way into the open eventually, I guess,"_ she had told him.

That's when the reality of the words hit her, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She couldn't let the boys find out her secret! If she did – her life might very well end up at risk! But what more could she do?

She knew the answer to that question. _Nothing. There's nothing I can do except go with the flow, and hopefully, I'll be able to find Kitkit before they figure it out._


	5. Chapter 5

You know, it's kind of depressing not to get any feedback. Though I realize that I neglected to say last chappie that I won't update till I get three reviews, so I'll let it go. Besides, I really want to update this fic. So please, please, please have a heart and review. Constructive critisism is very welcome as well! So please let me know what you think!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own YYH. Just Catalyn. Three reviews till I update!

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CHAPTER FIVE – A LINGERING PAST

When Catalyn finally reached the camp, it was thanks to the fire the gang had created. It was so dark outside that, even though blessed – or cursed – with great vision, she had to rely on her other senses, such as her ears and her nose, to sniff out the smoke and hear the crackling of the fire. The gang was crowded around the fire, taking in its warmth – except for Hiei, who was up in an isolated tree. They looked up when she joined them by the fire.

"Here, Catalyn," Botan said cheerfully, handing her a sandwich. "It's not all that much, but it's food."

"Thanks," she mumbled before taking a large bite out of the sandwich.

There was an awkward silence. They were all staring at her. She stopped eating and glared at them.

"What?"

"Where were you?" Yusuke demanded instantly. "You were gone for an hour!"

She shrugged calmly, a new lie ready. "I wanted to go for a walk. I like my privacy, thank you very much." Okay, it wasn't a full lie. After all, she had been for a walk. She just did a bit more than that. Finishing her sandwich, she went over to the river to drink some water. It had a strange smell which she figured classified it as demonic water, but it was cool and refreshing all the same.

"Well!" Botan exclaimed, breaking yet another moment of silence. "How about we all get some shut-eye? We need to be in good shape for tomorrow!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara grumbled about not getting to roast marshmallows, but they entered the bigger of the two tents without further complaint. Kurama slowly followed them. As he opened the flap, he locked eyes with Catalyn, then entered the tent, saying, "Good night."

Catalyn stared as the flap fluttered shut. She had been quite taken aback by this, because no one had ever wished her good night since she left her parents to go to a martial arts school. Seven whole years had passed since then…

"You coming in, Catalyn?" Botan asked from the flap of the smaller tent.

She jumped a little. "Oh, yeah, sure Botan, soon," she stuttered.

"Okay!" Botan beamed, then entered her tent.

Catalyn was left alone. She sat by the fire in silence, taking a few twigs every now and then to feed it. But all she could think about was how her sensei was doing, wherever he was, and of the day it all began:

_Catalyn twirled in front of her mirror, snuggling an orange cat close to her chest, all the while laughing gaily. "It's my birthday today, Kitkit!" she exclaimed delightedly. "All my classmates know too! I wonder if they've made a cake for me? Or better yet, maybe they'll get me some presents! Wouldn't that be awesome? Or what if I got a package from Mom and Dad? Oh, wow, this is so exciting! I wonder what kinds of presents I'll get!"_

_A hissing voice answered, "I know of a good present for you…"_

_Suddenly Kitkit clawed viciously at her arms, drawing blood. Catalyn screamed and dropped the cat. "Kitkit!" she yelled in surprise, clutching her stinging arms. "What's wrong?"_

_Kitkit's hairs stood on their ends, sharp as needles. Her yellow eyes grew larger and glowed red. A white-hot pain shot through Catalyn's forehead, so great that she was momentarily blinded as she screamed. _

_Kitkit bolted out the open window and vanished. "Kitkit!" Catalyn yelled desperately, but it was too late. Then she felt something strange just under her back. Feeling apprehensive, she reached around and her hands closed upon…a TAIL! She raced to the mirror and practically fainted when she saw her reflection. Her ears were gone, and higher up they had been replaced with cat ears! Her once blue eyes were the golden color of a cat's!_

_All the color drained from her face when she came to terms with what had just happened. _

"_I've been…demonified!"_

* * *

_Dressed in her martial arts uniform, shaking uncontrollably with each step, she managed to reach her classmates so that lessons could begin. They all stared at her, horrified. Then her greatest rival, Vladomir, yelled, "SHE'S A DEMON! ACK! SHE'S A DEMON!" _

"_I AM NOT!" she yelled back desperately, trying to fight off hysteria. _

_Everyone was yelling, Vladomir's voice high above the rest. "I KNEW IT ALL ALONG! THIS IS WHY WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET A GIRL INTO THIS SCHOOL! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FILTHY DE–"_

_He didn't get to finish his sentence. With her specialty kick, Vladomir was on the ground, completely winded. There was complete silence, during which everyone stared, wide-eyed. Vladomir sat up and yelled, "GET HER! KILL HER!"_

_Hysteria overwhelmed her as the boys rushed at her, all trying to fight her at once. She was the best in her class, but keeping them all at bay was impossible in her current state, and once Vladomir threw a tomato at her face she sank to her knees, breaking down completely…_

_Someone threw a blanket over her, and everyone stopped. A pair of strong arms drew her to her feet and began to lead her away. _

"_Easy, girl," her original sensei, a young man, told her. She looked fearfully into his kind eyes, but it was not kindness that she saw then. It was only pity, and a hint of resentment. Her tears flowed down uncontrollably as they walked. "Okay, Junsei, we're going to see the master. Keep it together." It would have been a soothing voice had she not seen the resentment in his eyes moments before. _

_Catalyn did not look up when she reached the master's chamber. She couldn't bear it. She had never seen him before, and despite always being curious, that curiosity was now gone. _

"_Junsei Muzai." His voice was calm but serious, deep and imposing. "Explain yourself."_

_She told him everything that had happened that morning. When she finished, she heard the master sigh. "I-I didn't mean for t-this to happen," she stammered fearfully. "I mean – my kitty…"_

"_Your pet attacked you, Miss Muzai," the master interrupted. _

"_No, really, she didn't," Catalyn gasped out, sobbing. "I –"_

_He cut her off so fiercely that she shed even more tears. "I beg to differ. Look at yourself! You are cursed!"_

"_No…" Catalyn sobbed, now on her knees, dreading what was coming._

"_You must leave this school and never return!"_

"_Please, master!" she cried out. "Don't make me leave! My parents…I haven't heard from them in ages…they haven't replied to my letters in so long…they're probably dead by now…I have nowhere to go…please, I promise never to hurt you…please, please let me stay!"_

"_No," the master said shortly. "You are a demon, and a danger to this fine school. You have my deepest sympathies for this unfortunate event, but even so, you must leave or die."_

"_But…" she wailed. "I have the right to stay…"_

"_Not anymore," the master said, clearly pitying her. _

"_I wouldn't say that," an unfamiliar voice cut in. _

_Catalyn looked up, and saw an old man hobble into the room. She recognized him as the oldest sensei still living in the school, but one who no longer taught any students. He was using a cane to support himself, and he went straight up to the master._

"_I know I am growing too old to teach," the old sensei said, "but I think I will be able to teach one last student. I will leave with this Junsei Muzai and help her complete her training."_

"_That is out of the question," the master objected immediately. "I need you here, at this school."_

"_But this girl needs the protection of a guardian," the old sensei argued. "She is still young. Without her completed training, she will not be able to survive on her own. And," he continued, "since when do we abandon a student?"_

_Catalyn stared at him in awe. So did the master. After a long silence, he sighed. "Very well," he agreed. "Junsei Muzai, you may leave with your new sensei. You have a half hour to gather your things. I will see to it that no one disturbs you. You may go."_

As she sat by the dimming fire, Catalyn recalled those sorrowful memories, and how she went on to train with her new sensei in the wilderness, completing it with remarkable skill and grace. He also taught her how to use her feline powers as an advantageous weapon, and even thought her good enough to teach her the basics of reiki and go even a little bit farther with them. Then he gave her a new name to mark the beginning of a new – and hopefully better – life.

That life was now. She was no longer Junsei Muzai to anyone. She was just Catalyn, an unlucky human who was demonified and cursed.

Without realizing what she was doing, Catalyn started to sing a song she had known since she was a child, a beautiful but somewhat frightening one at the same time, and her soft voice filled the night sky:

"If you are lost in your way

Deep in an awesome story

Don't be in doubt and stay

Cling to your lonesome folly

Now you're too close to the pain

Let all the rain go further

Come back and kiss me in vain

Mother oh do not bother

Hear the chorus of pain

Taking you back to proper ways

It's so easy to find

If you could remind me

Now you are lost in your way

Deep in an awesome story

So I will find you again

Kiss you for lonesome folly."

"Shut up, baka onna. You can't sing for your life."

Startled, Catalyn turned around to see Hiei jump down from his tree, frowning at her.

"As if you could do better," she retorted. Then she thought of something. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied. "But since you're up, we might as well begin your training."

Oh, right. Koenma's orders. Grumbling a little, she stood up. "Fine," she said. "But no big stuff tonight, got it?"

"Hn," was all he said as he drew his katana. Catalyn readied her fighting stance, and it began.

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That's it for now! The song is called "A Stray Child" from the .hack/SIGN OST. Remember to please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey, wow, I really got three reviews! So as promised I am updating. Thanks very very much to the people who reviewed. Arigato gozaimasu! Um...yeah. This chappie is a little short, sorry, but the rest, I promise they'll be longer. Okay? Okay!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own YYH. Just Catalyn.

Remember, three reviews till I update!

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CHAPTER SIX – TRAINING IN THE NIGHT

"I'll let you make the first move," Hiei said without any expression whatsoever on his part.

Catalyn snorted. "Nah, you can have it."

Hiei's frown deepened. "Hn."

And then he was practically right in front of her. _He's fast!_ Catalyn thought as she dodged, just in time. She knew she wasn't in perfect shape yet. She knew Hiei would probably come out faster than her. But she also knew that she had her newfound powers to help her. It was dark outside. The dimming fire was the only light they had. But Catalyn knew how to take advantage of the environment in ways that Hiei couldn't. Her eyesight, her hearing, her smell. These senses, she knew, were all better than Hiei's. And hopefully, in this dark, it would be hard for Hiei to see.

Hiei charged straight for her a second time, but slightly slower than the last. This time, time was what she had. She summoned flames to her fists and used those to block the strikes. Then Hiei got behind her. Whirling around to face him, she lashed out with her flame-encased tail and managed to graze Hiei's hand and cause him to back up a step. Her foot flaming, she kicked, but he caught it. She pushed herself into a punch, which he stopped with a kick. Then he slashed. She just dodged in time, but got caught off balance, leaving her back wide open. Hiei didn't go for it. He reappeared in front of her, and the same routine began.

Things were going pretty well, considering her condition. Hiei was quite fast, but she could hear his movements and sniff him out if need be, which Hiei couldn't do. However, though lacking the speed to use this to her advantage, she was still able to hold her own. Except…

Every single time, after a quick series of movements, her weakness would leave a small opening. But Hiei wasn't taking advantage of these openings. _Why won't he go for the openings?_ Catalyn wondered as she dodged. _It doesn't make sense. I mean, I'm glad he's not taking advantage of this, but can't he tell?_ That's when it hit her: _He's going easy on me!_

"Damn it, Hiei, why are you taking it easy?" she almost yelled angrily (she remembered that the others were sleeping and lowered her voice at the last minute).

"Because you're not ready for my full power yet," he answered, slashing at her waist.

She kicked upwards to block it. "Since when does Hiei of the Jagan Eye go easy on people?" she retorted (she knew about the Jagan from what Kurama had told her about it).

Hiei replied with the usual "Hn." Her ears tracked his movements, and her nose told her he was moving right behind her. She quickly flipped through the air, landing behind him. As he turned for her, she realized something: _He's not going to speed up unless I'm posing more of a threat. I need to attack him! Well, if it's an attack he wants, he's sure gonna get it!_

With that, she launched into a series of attacks consisting of punches, kicks, flaming bursts, flips, and bursts of reiki to push Hiei away if he got too close. These were all high-quality techniques she had learned training in the wilderness, techniques that adapted well to new surroundings. With these, she was easily able to switch between offensive and defensive styles. Hiei remained on the offensive, countering with more offence. But he was starting to get more vicious. Hiei was speeding up.

_This is good,_ she thought as she dodged a stroke of his katana. _The fun's just beginning._

As Hiei built up in strength and speed, like she hoped he would, she began having a hard time to keep up with him. Still, she kept pushing herself harder, determined to beat him. The desire to beat him intensified the strength of her blows, making every fire-filled kick or punch so quick and precise. He didn't seem worried at all. He just kept attacking relentlessly. She dodged and blocked his next attack sequence, and launched into her own assault.

This assault was mostly centered around strong, fast kicks. One of them connected with Hiei's shin, which he was originally using to block the kick, but he made a slight stumble in the process. Without letting the opportunity go to waste, she hit him hard in the shoulder.

She was about to deliver her specialty kick when suddenly, Hiei was right behind her. With the butt of his blade he smote her across the back, and she fell forwards with a cry of pain. She bit her lip and turned the fall into a roll. Then she leaped into the air, kicking downwards at Hiei. Her flaming foot collided with his katana and the two were pushed back, landing safely on both feet.

They resumed their fighting stances. Hiei hadn't broken a sweat, and he didn't seem the least bit tired. However, Catalyn was sweating and panting slightly. She glared at Hiei. She knew that if she was at full strength, she'd have no problem keeping up with him, and she hated herself for have growing so weak.

Hiei just frowned at her. She just frowned back. He was still very calm, and she was too, despite being tired.

"You're pretty good for a demon," she told him with a bit of a smirk, just for the heck of it. Normally she was very respectful and didn't trash talk during a fight, but Hiei was a special case.

"Hn."

"Is that all you can say?" she asked him warily.

They both glared. But Catalyn realized that this short pause was really helping her get her breath back, while it seemed to be doing nothing for Hiei. So why was he waiting, then? Was he really just helping himself in some way, or was he allowing her to get her breath back, another sign that he was taking it easy on her?

"What's with you?" she demanded, her voice a bit too loud. "Why are you waiting?"

"Hn," Hiei said, and he charged for her again, this time with much more speed than before. She barely had the time to react, and she was too late to fully dodge. The katana grazed her sleeve.

This angered her. Calling upon her last reserves of energy, Catalyn surrounded herself in flames and went for Hiei with everything she had, pausing not even once as she struck. Hiei dodged thirty kicks, but not the thirty-first. She hit him in the shoulder. He could dodge fifty rapid-fire punches, but not the fifty-first. She got him in the stomach.

Suddenly, with speed so great that her senses couldn't even detect the movement, Hiei's katana slashed for her stomach. She stumbled back out of shock just in time for the katana to merely graze her shirt. Then she stopped short. She hadn't even seen it move, but Hiei's katana was at her throat.

Breathing deeply, with the cold metal against her skin and her neck arched in a feeble attempt to avoid the blade, she glared at Hiei, her face radiating defiance. He lowered him katana but did not sheathe it. Then he spoke.

"That was terrible."

She nearly exploded with this remark, but turned away from him and took a deep breath. "Terrible?" she panted. "What are you talking about? How was that so terrible?"

"You're currently way too weak to face the Ten," he said scornfully. "I don't know why Koenma dared ask you to join us. Perhaps he believes that you're much stronger, but I don't see how that is possible. The weak cannot change. We don't need you. You'll only be in the way."

Her pupils contracted into tiny cat-like slits as she whirled around, absolutely furious. "Why, you–"

But pain exploded in the back of her head, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Hn," said Hiei as he sheathed his katana.

Kurama stepped into the fire's light. "Why did you hit her, Hiei?"

"She's wasting her energy arguing," came the annoyed reply.

Kurama bent over Catalyn's motionless form and gently carried her to her tent.

Hiei frowned. "You're too soft."

"And you're too rough," Kurama replied steadily as he completed his task and returned outside. "Especially with her. You know she wasn't ready for that much fighting, especially after losing so much blood less than a week ago."

Hiei said nothing for a moment. The fire flickered in his eyes. Then he said, "She wanted me to do it. She was angry that I went easy on her."

"I know," Kurama said before Hiei could continue with a detailed account of the fight. "I saw the whole thing. And I also happen to know that Koenma specifically ordered you to go easy on her until she is ready, and those orders were something you should have obeyed no matter what she said. He is, after all, the superior."

"Hn."

"Try to be friends with her," Kurama suggested as he returned to the boys' tent.

Hiei snorted. "Me, friends with her? It'll never happen."

Kurama was serious. "That's the exact same thing she said to me about being friends with you." He smiled. "See? You already have something in common."

"She has a terrible voice," Hiei added somewhat lamely.

Kuruma held back a laugh at Hiei's pitiful excuse. "I think it's pretty," he said. "Come on, we need our rest for tomorrow." And he entered the tent. Hiei stared at the flap for a moment, then jumped back into his tree and slept there.


	7. Chapter 7

As promised, I am updating after three reviews, and also as promised, this chapter is much longer! So thanks to the three reviewers, I'm glad you like my story.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own YYH. The end.

Remember, three reviews till I update!

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CHAPTER SEVEN – A NEW FAMILY

Catalyn awoke the next morning after Botan gently shook her shoulders multiple times. "Rise and shine, Catalyn!" she exclaimed as she opened one bleary eye. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up in the lame excuse for a tent, her head touching the top flap. Her head had a slight pound to it. She sat there for a few minutes, trying to figure out why. Her body felt refreshed enough, so it wasn't from lack of sleep, but she was a tad sore. _Ah,_ she realized. _Yeah. Hiei. He hit me with the butt of his sword. Just like him,_ she added bitterly. But she figured that as long as she kept herself occupied, she'd be able to ignore the headache.

When Catalyn pushed aside the tent's flap to step into the bright sunlight of a new day, she noticed with a groan that everyone else was already ready and toasting bread over the fire. She hated being the last one ready back at the martial arts school, so she had made a habit of always being the first one up. She didn't seem to be getting off to the same kind of start here, even though she felt a strange excitement as to what lay ahead.

"Morning," mumbled Yusuke and Kuwabara through full mouths; Kurama swallowed his bite before echoing them. Catalyn nodded and made the same reply. She looked at Hiei and saw, much to her expectations, that he was frowning at her again. She glared at him, grabbed some bread, and viciously speared it with a stick to toast over the fire.

* * *

"Okay, guys!" Botan exclaimed when the remains of their breakfast had been cleaned up. Only she, Catalyn, and Kurama had taken part in that chore. Hiei was back in his tree, and Kuwabara was getting his head handed to him by none other than Yusuke. "Today we tackle the Ten!"

Yusuke instantly stopped pummelling Kuwabara and began marching ahead, his fist in the air. "Let's kick some demon butt!" he yelled. "Onward, troops! Follow me!"

Everyone followed Yusuke, but following his statement another brawl commenced between him and Kuwabara over whether or not Yusuke was acting like an army leader. Catalyn sighed and her ears folded slightly in an attempt to block out the noise. When that didn't work, she closed her eyes and made sure her sense of smell kept her on track.

When they reached the "great wall of demons" as Kuwabara dubbed it, the argument was long over, relieving Catalyn. But his idiocy still bugged her.

"It's not that big," she said monotonously, just to see if she could annoy him.

"Not that big?" Kuwabara echoed. "Kee-ripes! You must be insane! Hey – where are you going?"

For Catalyn had already backed away until she was far in the distance. She looked the wall up and down. It was much larger during the night than it was when the sun was shining. She could get this thing hands down.

"What do you think you're doing?" Yusuke yelled back.

Kurama knew instantly. "She's going to try to run up the wall."

"But that's insane!" Yusuke yelled. "There's no way she can do this – we'll have to think of a better idea – like blowing it up!"

"Oh, yes, brilliant idea, Yusuke!" Catalyn screamed at him. "Watch and learn, baka!"

With a triumphant cry, she picked up speed and charged for the wall, and had the thing beat in five seconds flat. She waved down at the boys. "Beat that!" she called to them. Kuwabara and Yusuke's dropped jaws were all she could see from that height. She was sure Kurama and Botan would be impressed, and she could tell without looking that Hiei was…well, his usual expressionless self.

"Anyone up there?" Botan asked.

Catalyn surveyed the demon village below. "Not a single demon in sight up here, and just a few guards around the castle," she replied. Then she waited for a reply. It didn't come for another five minutes. The guys were busy talking to each other. Though unable to hear their mutters, Catalyn knew exactly what they were discussing. Obviously none of them were able to beat the wall like she had. _And you called me weak, Hiei,_ she thought with immense satisfaction in knowing she had surpassed him at something.

"Hey, Catalyn!" Yusuke finally called. "Can you get to the other side and open the gates for us?"

Her grin of triumph grew despite her attempt to contain it. "Give me a minute," she called back, and leaped over the wall to the demon village awaiting the other side. However, she had overlooked five demons at the bottom. As she gathered speed, she concentrated fire at her foot and met the first demon's head, the impact instantly killing him and sending vibrations through her leg. She kicked out into the splits, beheading two more. She flipped over to land on her hands, and with both feet flaming, she twirled, striking the two remaining demons in the necks and killing them as well. She picked herself up, wiping off a speck of blood from her shirt. _Not even a close challenge,_ she thought almost wistfully.

She looked around, her ears and nose trying to pick up any other hiding guards, but she found none. Instead, what she did see was a green button on what seemed like a small control stand that she knew controlled the gates. Her finger was brushing against the button when she stopped. _Why should I help them get through?_ Catalyn wondered suddenly. _Hiei only thinks I'll get in the way, but if he couldn't get up like I did, then that would teach him to eat his words…_ The bitter thoughts continued. _Should I really help them out? Or should I take on the Ten by myself, and prove to them – especially Hiei – that I'm strong enough?_

She tried to walk away, but her legs felt like lead. She couldn't bring herself to abandon the boys and Botan. It just wasn't right, and it wasn't the way she'd been taught. She pushed the button.

There was a large moan, and the gates creaked open. She heard an excited, almost girl-ish squeal from the other side that didn't seem to come from Botan, but her mind vaguely thought of Kuwabara and she practically doubled over laughing. Anyways, they joined her on the inside and she pressed the button again. The gates closed behind them with a thud.

"Good job, Catalyn," Botan said, patting her on the back.

Kuwabara jumped in on the praise too. "Yeah, that was awesome! I'd go on a date with you anytime!"

"Well I wouldn't, Kuwa_baka_," she muttered, triggering sniggers from Yusuke.

"As if anyone would go on a date with _him_!" he laughed. "Not even Yukina would –"

"Shut up about Yukina!" Kuwabara yelled, his face beet red. "The power of love has brought us together! I don't care what you say; it's destiny!"

As Yusuke continued to laugh at him, Catalyn noticed Hiei's expression towards Kuwabara. It was an expression of utmost loathing and she smelled the bloodlust so strong it almost made her sneeze. _I wonder why he seems so angry,_ she wondered.

She had no time to ponder on the issue, for Yusuke had clapped a hand on her shoulder and was commenting on how they all shared a common hobby (teasing Kuwabara) and he was glad she enjoyed it too. She felt a vein pulse in her temple. She didn't like that hand on her shoulder. Then he went on saying that she would make a great permanent member of the team, which only burst her bubble. She punched him in the cheek.

"I'm not here to be a part of your team!" she snapped. "How many times must I remind you? As soon as I find Kitkit, I'm outta here, and I hope I never see any of you again. Now let's go, we're wasting time." And she turned and continued down the main street that would lead directly to the castle, her back to the boys. She was in slight awe with what she had just done, but to turn around and apologize would make her feel stupid, so she took to blocking out their comments as they caught up with her.

But she couldn't ignore Kurama's comment: "We all know you really didn't mean that."

Or Hiei's: "Yeah, right. She can't wait to leave and it'll be good riddance when she does."

What surprised her was that she had just been thinking along those lines when Hiei had spoken those words. She didn't realize that she and Hiei did think quite alike, though not in any good way. But Kurama was a bit like that as well. He had a funny way of knowing how people felt, as she had noticed whenever she chatted with him while she was bedridden.

As Catalyn walked down the street, her thoughts were interrupted by the startling images all around her. They were walking down the main cobblestone street lined with brick mansions, and to the left of the houses was a large chain of mountains and caves, while to the left there was a forest and a lake. At the end of the street stood the castle of the Ten, no doubt, and probably about ten stories high. The large outer wall surrounded them all. It was a very strange village. But it did have a sort of homey feel to it, as if it was a safe haven for all kinds of demons, even a half-breed like herself.

Botan pointed at the castle. "That's where we're heading," she said, though it was obvious everyone had figured this out by now. "There are ten floors, one for each of the Ten, I think."

The castle loomed closer and closer. Suddenly, two demon children ran up. They both looked human enough, but had long, white-blonde hair, brilliant blue eyes, and in place of human ears, they had cat ears and also a tail, just like Catalyn did. She could also sense powers of thunder and lightning from them. They were almost identical, but there were a few hints that indicated that they were brother and sister.

"What are you doing here?" the boy asked in the voice of an eight-year-old.

"Where are you going?" the girl asked in a voice slightly higher than her brother.

Botan answered with a funny sort of smile, "Oh, we're just heading towards the castle!"

"To kick the butts of the demons inside," added Yusuke.

Catalyn couldn't believe his attitude. She elbowed him hard in the side. "You don't just go around telling people about your mission!" she hissed. "Now you'll upset the demons!"

But to her surprise, the demons' innocent, curious faces broke out into smiles.

"Oh, goodie!" the girl exclaimed.

"Please get rid of them for us!" the boy said.

Catalyn stared at them. "You actually…want us to go through with that?"

The girl nodded her head vigorously. "The Ten did give us a home when our cat demon tribe exiled us for being able to control storms," the boy explained, "but we are still treated a bit like slaves."

"We don't like it at all!" the girl piped. "So will you free us?"

Catalyn grinned. "Of course we will!" she said. Everyone else nodded. Then, to the amazement of everyone (even including Hiei), the girl demon ran up to Catalyn and hugged her. At first, she didn't really know how to react. All she could do was pat the demon awkwardly on the head between the ears.

The girl demon looked up at Catalyn. "You're a cat demon, just like us, aren't you?" she asked.

Catalyn shrugged. "Well, kind of," she said. "I'm also part human, and part fire demon." She didn't feel ashamed when she said this, for the first time ever, and it made her wonder why. Was it because she felt so sympathetic towards the young demons, or maybe because she felt connected to them?

"Really? Part fire, too?" the boy asked, his eyes round and wide. When she nodded, he exclaimed, "Wicked!"

Then the boy and girl remembered to introduce themselves. Jet was the boy, and the girl's name was Mari (MAW-ree – maw rhymes with the caw a crow makes). Mari still hadn't let go of her, and Jet suddenly joined in too. Then, in unison, they asked, "Will you be our older sister?" Everyone gasped in surprise (except for Hiei, but his eyes did widen a bit). "And can we come with you?"

Catalyn instantly recovered from her shock when she heard the second question. "Absolutely not," she said firmly. "It'll be way too dangerous for you if you come with us."

They stared up at her with wide, pleading eyes. "PLEASE?"

Catalyn thought for a suitable response. "If I'm your big sister," she said slowly, "then I have to do what I think is best for you…"

"So you will be our big sister?" Mari demanded.

Catalyn nodded and they cheered. "So you have to take us with you!" Jet insisted.

She sighed and shook her head. "As your big sister, I have to protect you and make sure nothing bad can happen to you. The safest thing is for you two to stay here."

They started to whine, and Mari got tears in her eyes. Catalyn looked frantically at the gang to help her. Yusuke and Kurama were both only children. Kuwabara's sister was older than him. "As a spirit guide, I don't know too much about all the human family stuff," Botan stammered. And as for Hiei, she didn't expect help from him anyways.

But to her utter shock, Hiei spoke: "You would do well to listen to her, unless you harbour a death wish. You should stay out of trouble, because if anything were to happen to you, she would never forgive herself. Wait here for her like good little siblings. We're going now." And he continued down the streets towards the castle without another word.

"Wait up, Hiei," said Yusuke and Kuwabara, hurrying to catch up with him.

"Come on, Catalyn, let's go," Kurama said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She was still in shock from Hiei's statement. She never knew he could actually think like that, like an actual sibling would. And his words had actually sunk in.

"Don't leave us alone again!" Jet and Mari cried, tears pouring down their cheeks.

"I'll stay with them, if you like," Botan said. "I can still give you guy information through these." She handed Catalyn a bright purple kind of walkie-talkie, while pocketing a second. "Keep in touch!" she added with a wink.

"Thanks, Botan," Catalyn said. She turned to Jet and Mari. "I promise I'll come back, so wait for me, okay?" They nodded. "And be good to Botan." Then she and Kurama jogged down the path to catch up with the others.

Along the way, she was struck by a sudden thought. "Hey, Kurama, does Hiei have a sister? I mean, it would explain what he said earlier."

Kurama nodded. "Her name is Yukina, and they are twins, but they've been separated since birth and she doesn't know Hiei's her brother, nor does he want any of us telling her. And Kuwabara doesn't know, and it would be wise not to tell him."

Catalyn suddenly had a flashback to when Yukina had been mentioned in a previous conversation, and where she'd noticed an angry expression in Hiei. "That explains it," she muttered to herself, but there still was more she didn't know. "But why won't he tell her?"

"Do you know that, in order to obtain the Jagan Eye, Hiei had to make a strict deal?" Kurama asked. She remained silent to let him explain. "He swore that once he found her with it, he would not tell her who he was."

"Is that really worth it?" Catalyn mused, more to herself.

Kurama answered her anyways. "If something happened to Yukina one day and he didn't know about it, he would hate himself forever."

_Wow,_ Catalyn thought as they reached the others. _So Hiei does have a heart after all_

They reached the castle's entrance. "We're here!" Yusuke called loudly, and he kicked open the doors.


	8. Chapter 8

You should know, I'm not a patient person. And I hate waiting. Right now the previous chapter has no reviews, and I'm not too happy. But I couldn't wait, I really wanted to update this chapter. So here it is, and PLEASE review!

Disclaimer: I don't own YuYu Hakusho.

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CHAPTER EIGHT – A GENTLEMAN'S BATTLE

Thanks to Yusuke's strength, the front doors of the Ten's castle burst open with a bang, and they all stepped inside. Catalyn had been expecting the entrance to be pitch black, like all of the stereotypical evil lairs she'd heard stories of from her fellow students at the martial arts school. They always gathered in groups before curfew to tell scary stories of strong martial arts masters going to a demon's lair to rescue his damsel in distress. It was literally the same story every time, so that was almost all she knew of events like those. But to her surprise, the room was the exact opposite of dark and creepy. The entrance was large and magnificent like a ballroom, covered with red carpets with gold lining. Stained glass windows faced them from every wall, draped with ruby red curtains. At least two dozen pure crystal chandeliers hung from gold ropes on the ceiling, illuminating the whole room until it seemed like everything sparkled. And all the way at the other end of the room was the largest staircase she'd ever seen, with intricate designs of flowers and leaves carved into the handles and railings, all made of solid gold.

Everyone was struck dumb by this amazing room. And startlingly, it was Kuwabara who regained the power of speech first and was able to sum up everyone's thoughts: "For a rotten bunch of demons, they sure know how to make their hallway a high-class, welcoming entrance!"

"If they were that great, they'd have a butler or something to welcome us," Yusuke retorted, "but no one's here."

"It's just an entrance," Catalyn said. "They're probably waiting in the higher rooms, like up the stairs."

"Yeah, big bosses tend to hog the high towers," Yusuke agreed.

"Just like Suzaku of the Four Beasts," Kuwabara added grudgingly.

Catalyn knew exactly what they were talking about, because Kurama had already told her about all of the gang's previous adventures. The battle against the Four Beasts was actually the first time both Hiei and Kurama would join forces with the spirit detective and his partner, and it marked the beginning of many adventures for them, such as the Dark Tournament from not too long ago. That sort of tournament really appealed to her. It sounded like the perfect place to hone her skills and prove her strength to the world. Even though the battles were all life-and-death, she secretly longed to fight with her life on the line. The adrenaline rush must feel awesome. She always felt a rush when fighting because she loved it so much. She was sure the Tournament would bring that out in her.

"Catalyn, stop staring already!" Yusuke called at her. She jumped, startled, and saw that they had all started for the stairs already.

"Sorry," she mumbled, and jogged lightly to catch up, using her tail to propel herself forwards. In her head, she thought, _so much for that._

As they were approaching the stairs, her ears pricked up to their maximum, and she knew something was wrong. Her ears only pricked up that much when there was grave danger. She looked around, and saw nothing, but then she picked up a subtle creak from above. Looking up, all she saw was one of the gorgeous crystal chandeliers. It gave an almost unnoticeable twitch, and instantly she knew.

"JUMP!" she screamed, and the chandelier crashed down to meet them.

With her tail, she pushed herself as hard as she could towards the stairs. The impact of the chandelier crashing sent her flying, but she landed safely in the middle of the stairs, unscathed, with no broken fragments of crystal nearby. She looked desperately around to see if everyone else was okay.

She couldn't see anything in the dust resulting from the crash but the dozens of crystal fragments sending sparkles everywhere in front of her. Then she noticed that Hiei was standing next to her, having jumped like she had. But where were the others?

When the dust finally cleared, she saw them, on the other side of where the chandelier had crashed, away from the stairs. However, she noted right away that the damage was done. The chandelier was so large that now it blocked the entire first ten or so steps of the stairs. It would be impossible to get through it like that, especially with the shattered edges of crystal lying scattered around it.

"Are you guys okay?" she called.

"We're fine," Kurama answered calmly. "And you two?"

Hiei made a "Hn" sound. "We're fine," she replied after glancing at Hiei.

Kurama nodded. "The problem now lies with this chandelier. No doubt the Ten have noticed our presence and tried to stop us from going any further. But I wonder why they wouldn't come down to meet us in battle. Surely they realize that we are not going to back down without a fight. Unless…"

Catalyn knew from the look on his face, and from what she heard next, that Kurama's unvoiced thought was correct. A sweet, syrupy voice that echoed throughout the room, said, "Well, I can't let any of you leave without a ballroom dance, now, can I?"

Everyone looked up. A figured leaped down from one of the crystal chandeliers, straightened out, and so they got their first glimpse of one of the Ten. She was of medium height, and looked mostly human, though her skin had the palest tinge of blue in it. A sheet of wavy royal blue hair fell about her shoulders in an elegant fashion, and she was dressed in a periwinkle blue gown lined with diamonds and sapphires. She wore a tiara decorated with the same gems, as did all the jewellery she wore, which was a lot.

"Hello, hello," she said sweetly. "I hope you find this room as beautiful as I do."

"Who are you?" Yusuke snarled. "And why'd you drop that chandelier on us? That's coward's move!"

The demon didn't look the least bit offended. Her smile grew wider. "I guess that means none of you is up for some ballroom dancing?" she simpered. "Such a shame. Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?" She curtsied. "I am Nami, the first of the Ten. You spirit detectives are most welcome here."

"Welcome, ha!" said Yusuke. Kuwabara joins in with the trash talking, going on about the stupid chandelier stunt.

Catalyn sighed. _This gets us nowhere. _She summoned a ball of flame to her fist and wound up to throw it, but Hiei grabbed her wrist. They locked eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"That isn't wise," he replied coldly. The fire in her eyes flared up. "Go on and show how stupid you are, but don't say I didn't warn you." Catalyn shook him off, and threw the fireball anyways. It stopped as it was soaring over the chandelier, as if it hit an invisible wall, and vanished. "Told you," Hiei muttered. They glared at each other.

Nami laughed. "I see you two have discovered what happened when that chandelier crashed. It wasn't the move of a coward, trust me. I set a trap after the chandelier fell, during all the confusion. These three boys here try to leave the room, but an invisible forcefield stops their path! And you two can't leave without your dear comrades, can you?" All five of them glared at her. But Nami continued, "Not only that, but this ballroom is very special. Only real gentlemen can actually fight in here. Anyone who is not, or who displays violence towards me, will find their strength depleted and will be unable to make their move." She laughed again. "Since none of you appear to be proper gentlemen, I'll be able to attack you all I want, and you'll be destroyed within minutes, while your friends on the other side watch helplessly. Oh, I shall have fun today!"

She stopped laughing abruptly when Kurama took a step forward. "I think I can take you on," he said calmly, his green eyes glistening.

Nami looked at him with mock surprise. "Kurama, wishing to challenge _me_?" He nodded. Nami gave him a look of disbelief. "Well, since your weapon of choice is a rose, I suppose that passes you off as a gentleman…but no doubt you're not very strong."

"I wouldn't count on that!" Yusuke yelled at her.

Nami winked at him. "I would," she said. "After all, a rose is nothing."

"You'd be surprised at how much a rose can do," Kurama replied smoothly. He still hadn't taken his eyes off of her, not even for a moment. He just looked at her with the same calmness that it was almost frightening.

Nami giggled. "Fine, believe what you want. But before we fight, you must dance with me, like any gentleman would. Only those who dance are gentlemen, and only gentlemen can use their powers here."

Catalyn was about to yell that Kurama would never do such a thing, but he replied, "Fine, I accept." Nami smiled slyly and snapped her fingers. Classical music began to play from somewhere unknown. Catalyn was enraged as Kurama stepped closer, offered her his hand, and the two of them began to dance. Nami was grinning, but Kurama showed no expression. Yusuke and Kuwabara's fists were clenched, and she noticed that hers were, too.

After a few minutes, the dance ended. Nami curtsied and Kurama bowed. She held out her hand to him, and he did what Catalyn had been praying he wouldn't do: kiss it. She felt her cheeks getting hot.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous," Hiei said to her. She glared at him, but luckily, she didn't think he could see her blushing, because her mask covered most of her cheeks.

Nami faced Kurama, still grinning. "Now we fight, Kurama dear, but be a gentleman the whole way through!" she sang.

Kurama reached into his hair and pulled out his signature rose, which elongated into his thorned whip. Nami took off her tiara and it glowed, turning into a sort of sparkling frisbee, looking like it was made purely of ice. "As you can see, ice is my element," Nami announced. "But I have another, which you will discover soon enough!" She hurled the tiara at Kurama, who quickly sidestepped it and slashed with his rose whip, shattering the tiara. The broken pieces fell to the ground and melted instantly.

Yusuke and Kuwabara cheer, but Catalyn knew that there was really no reason to, for Nami was still smiling. And then she laughed. "Kurama dear, I told you that you would soon discover my other element! Look! It is water!"

They all looked down at the puddle that was created from the melted tiara. The water swirled together, froze again, and zoomed into Nami's hand, exactly like it had been before.

"My weapon is unbreakable," Nami said coolly, licking her ice weapon gently. "It is connected to me, you see. Only if it breaks for good shall I, and only if I am destroyed shall it. But you can't attack me directly, being a gentleman and all, and if you did, you would lose your powers." She giggled.

Yusuke and Kuwabara glared at her. "Is it true?" Catalyn asked them. "Can you not use your powers?"

"It's like we get sucked dry every time we think about it," Kuwabara grumbled. "But can't Kurama just break that stupid tiara? I mean, it's bound to crack sometime."

Catalyn shook her head. "Not when Nami can summon it back together again at will. This room was constructed in a way that everything is to her advantage. Only a gentleman can fight, but he can't attack her directly. We need Kurama to attack her indirectly, but there's not really any way he can, right now." She looked at Kurama. He was staring intently at something, thinking hard. She followed his gaze, and her eyes widened in surprise. _Of course! That'll do it!_ She and Kurama locked eyes, and he nodded, then turned back to face Nami, ready.

Nami smirked. "You think you've found a strategy? We'll see about that!" She tossed her tiara with such incredible speed that Kurama had no time to fully react. As he was trying to bring up his rose whip, the tiara grazed his left shoulder, spurting blood. The tiara zoomed back into Nami's hand.

"Kurama!" Yusuke and Kuwabara yelled.

Kurama locked eyes with Catalyn again, and she couldn't help her negative thoughts. _Nami's too fast for him. He won't be able to do it._ But Kurama still managed to give her a reassuring smile. "I'll be ready this time," he assured her, and something in his tone made her believe him.

Nami giggled again. "Poor Kurama," she simpered. "And all because you're too much of a gentleman…such a shame you have to be the first to die." She brought her arm back to prepare for another throw. "This strike will be the last!"

She tossed her tiara with even greater speed. Catalyn flinched upon seeing that, but Kurama had already started. The rose whip lashed out blindly, and just in time. He let out a cry of pain. The whip had cleanly split the tiara in two. One half flipped upwards, hit a chandelier cord with a thud, and bounced into Nami's hand again. The other half had deflected deep into his right arm. He dropped his rose whip and fell to his knees, clutching his wound.

Yusuke rushed over, with Kuwabara at his heels. Catalyn called his name, and was about to leap over the crashed chandelier when Hiei grabbed her arm again, saying, "We can't, remember?" She glared at him and shook him off once more.

Nami laughed. "Such a futile effort," she said. "But I told you that you could never win."

"Guess…again," Kurama said, wincing in pain.

Nami's eyes showed a flicker of surprise, but then she was grinning again. "Oh, really? Care to explain?"

Catalyn prayed that Kurama's plan was working as she spoke. "He has half of your tiara," she said. "It's broken."

"I can summon that half out of Kurama's arm, whether or not he resists," Nami declared.

Catalyn heard the satisfying creak, and smirked. "Look out below," she said.

With that, the chandelier right above Nami hurtled towards her. She shrieked, but the shriek was lost in the shattering of crystals. Catalyn saw her limp hand stick out from under the wreckage. The tiara half slipped out, and splintered into a hundred tiny fragments. The other half, deep in Kurama's wound, melted into water and dripped to the ground, mixing in with Kurama's blood.


	9. Chapter 9

Wow, three reviews in less than 24 hours! w00t! That's what I like to see! Thank you very very much! And to answer one of the questions I have seen more than once, yes it will either be a Catalyn pairing with Hiei or Kurama, not sure which yet. Each kind has their ups and downs. Anyways, three reviews till the next chappie!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

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CHAPTER NINE –SHOWDOWN IN THE ROOM OF MIRRORS

Catalyn took three running steps and, ignoring Hiei's warning, leaped over the shattered fragments of the chandelier. She didn't even stop to balance herself when she landed; she stumbled right over to Kurama, whose arm was bleeding badly. "Kurama, are you –?"

"I'm okay," he replied with a smile, then winced in pain.

"No, you're not!" Yusuke said angrily.

"Anyone have a Band-Aid?" asked Kuwabara stupidly.

Catalyn gave an annoyed sigh, but she knew that he did have the right intentions. Kurama's wound needed to be covered. She untied her elastic-like bandage out of her ponytail and helped Kurama tie his wound with it. Without it, her amber hair fell a bit above her waist. She hated it loose because it always got in her face, but she'd survive. Besides, Kurama's wound was more important than her need of a ponytail.

Yusuke helped Kurama up, and they were ready to go. Catalyn leaped back over the chandelier. Kurama followed, using his rose whip to pull himself over. He extended it to Yusuke, and then after to Kuwabara.

"I don't need your help!" Kuwabara declared. He summoned his aura sword. It was the first time she had seen it, and she had to admit it was pretty impressive for a guy like him. He extended it and did like those pole-vaulters do, leaping over the chandelier. Upon landing, he missed a step and fell backwards. Catalyn grabbed onto his collar with her tail and pulled him upright. "Thanks," he said, his eyes shining. "So, do you wanna go on –"

She let her tail whip the back of his head.

After climbing halfway up the magnificent staircase, the stairs branch off into two different directions. At the end of each is another door.

"Which one?" Kuwabara asked.

"Let's just pick one and find out," Yusuke said. "After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"Or we could split up," Kurama suggested.

Without a word, Catalyn took out the communication device Botan had given her. She pressed the green ON button, and Botan's face appeared in the screen.

"How's it going, Catalyn?" she asked cheerfully. Upon hearing her voice, the boys turned.

"We've got a bit of a problem," she replied. "Kurama beat Nami, the first of the Ten. She had water and ice powers. Now we've reached a fork in the road. Did Koenma give you any info?"

Botan thought about it for a moment, then replied, "Both ways end up leading back together again. The left leads to Fai, who is a halfdemon with reiki powers from his human side and lightning from his demon side. On the right is his full-demon brother, Kai, who uses earthly powers and mind control. I'd say he's probably more dangerous. Still, you should probably split up since they will both need to be defeated either way."

"Okay, thanks, Botan," Catalyn said. "We'll let you know how it goes."

A high pitched voice yelled, "Be careful, sis!" Another yelled, "We miss you!"

She smiled. "Thanks," she said to Jet and Mari's voices. "Wait for me, and I'll come back soon. Bye, Botan." She pressed the red OFF button and faced the others, all who had been listening intently to Botan's information. So, who will go with who?

Everyone was silent, looking at one another, all thinking the same question. Finally Hiei said, "I'll take Kai," and began walking up the steps on the right.

Yusuke jumped right after him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Okay, Hiei, m'man, I'm going with you! We'll kick butt for sure!"

"Get your fat paw off me," Hiei snapped, but made no other objections. They went through their door.

"Well," Catalyn said, "that's decided." She was happy to be with Kurama, but as for Kuwabara…well, at least he couldn't try anything drastic with Kurama around.

"Catalyn, we're together!" Kuwabara exclaimed, grabbing her hand. "The powers of love brought us together!"

With her free hand, she smacked him in the face and glared at him. He got the message.

So, the three of them walked up the stairs on the left and opened their door. They find themselves in a brightly lit room, where the floor, walls, and ceiling all seem to be made out of a mirror-like glass.

"Interesting," Catalyn mused, squinting as she got used to the light. "All light reflects here."

"Exactly," answered a strangely high, male voice. Kurama pointed to the left. Standing there is Fai, with extremely pale skin and brown hair. He wore Roman-style clothing (you know, long time ago stuff). He wasn't very tall. "Welcome to my lair," he said. "My name is Fai, and next door is my brother Kai, who I believe is facing two of your members now. But I'm confident in my abilities. I'll take all three of you on."

"Are you sure you wanna risk fighting us all at once?" Kuwabara asked.

"Are you sure you wanna risk your neck fighting me?" Fai retorted.

"Let it go," Catalyn said to the fuming Kuwabara. "If that's what he wants, so be it. But Kurama, I think you should sit out and give your wound some more time to heal. Take a break."

Kurama nodded and retreated to a corner in the room, where he sat down to watch. "Good luck," he said.

Louder, she called out to Fai, "You'll face two of us. Ready when you are."

Fai grinned. "Since there is a girl among you, I'll let you two make the first move," he said to her and Kuwabara.

Catalyn pushed her hair aside and out of her face, praying it wouldn't give her too much trouble. Still she waited. But Kuwabara did not. He summoned his aura sword and charged forward with a kind of war cry. "You're going down!"

As he charged across the room, Catalyn noticed the expanding grin Fai wore. That was when she sensed a massive wall of reiki that would not only shield him from Kuwabara's attack, but counter as well. "Get back!" she yelled urgently.

Kuwabara faltered, but that was it – his sword collided with the barrier. There was an explosion upon the contact and Kuwabara was thrown backwards into a wall, groaning.

"Too easy," Fai snickered. "I sincerely hope you're stronger, cat girl."

"I am," she answered smoothly, summoning balls of flame to her fists. Then she charged.

"Big mistake," said Fai.

"Catalyn, don't!" yelled Kurama.

As she sprinted, Catalyn remembered what her sensei had taught her about countering reiki techniques with her own reiki powers. When she was close to the barrier, she made a quick analysis of its strength and summoned even more power for herself. She charged through the barrier with ease. Fai's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, she was on top of him, punching him with her flaming fists. He flew through the air. She leaped up to join him, and as he came down, she kicked him sideways into the wall, where he falls to the floor.

"No challenge at all," Catalyn said dismissively. She ripped the edge of her sleeve off and used it to tie her hair back (it was way too annoying) the way Sango from Inuyasha does when she's not fighting. She turned back to Kurama and Kuwabara, who was standing again.

"I found the door," Kurama said.

"Door?" Catalyn asked, looking around the room, and she realized she couldn't see the exit.

Kurama pointed across the room. Catalyn followed his gaze. "It was camouflaged pretty well," he said. "It's understandable you didn't notice it."

Together, the three walked over to the door. Catalyn reached for the glass doorknob, and… suddenly, bolts of electricity surged from the door to her hand. She leaped back, yelping in pain, and rubbed her hand.

"What's wrong?" the boys asked together.

"Your way is blocked," Fai said, and they turned to see him standing, alive and well, save for a few scratches. "And it will remain blocked until you defeat me. So, you've matched me in reiki, but can you even come close against my skills with lightning?"

Kurama retreated again, and Kuwabara stepped forward, summoning a new aura sword. "Let's find out!" he yelled, and charged again with no thought of strategy whatsoever. Catalyn groaned, but charged behind him in case of backup.

Fai summoned a sword to his hand, much like Kuwabara's, but this one crackled with electricity. "See my thunder sword!" he proclaimed. He parries Kuwabara's strike, and suddenly, waves of electricity flow from the sword into Kuwabara and he cries out in pain. Catalyn sped behind Fai and aimed a flaming punch for his back. Kuwabara fell back, and Fai tried to dodge her attack. She managed to get him in the arm, knocking the thunder sword out of his hands. Then Kuwabara struck him in the leg with his recharged aura sword.

"Catalyn, behind you!" Kurama yelled urgently.

She turned around just in time to see Fai's thunder sword zooming towards her. She tried to dive aside, but it grazed her leg, sending electrifying pain throughout her whole body. She fell to her knees, yelling. The sword continued its way and exploded when it hit Kuwabara's aura sword. Kuwabara cried out, and he, too, fell to his knees.

Fai laughed as the two struggled to their feet. "How…?" Catalyn asked weakly. "He didn't throw the thunder sword, so how…?"

It was Kurama who found the solution. "It bounced back from the wall," he said suddenly, almost in awe.

Fai laughed even harder. "Correct!" he exclaimed. "All light reflects here, and so do my electrical attacks!"

As he continued to laugh, Catalyn inched towards Kuwabara. "Listen," she muttered. "We have to use his advantage to our advantage."

Kuwabara stared at her, confused. "How do we do that?"

She sighed. "Never mind, just distract him for me."

Kuwabara nodded and lengthened his aura sword. He charged. Fai summoned five thunderbolts out of nowhere, and they all headed for Kuwabara. In a small panic, Kuwabara swung his sword in an attempt to counter, but every time a thunderbolt hit, he'd get affected as well. Still, he kept going. Using his sword like a baseball bat, he knocked three attacks aside, ignoring the pain, but he couldn't do the last two.

Catalyn leaped into action and kicked the thunderbolts, her feet flaming. She still felt the shock seep through her, but she tried to be strong and ignored it. Now there were five thunderbolts bouncing back and forth across the room.

"Thanks," Kuwabara gasped, ducking as a thunderbolt flew over his head.

"No problem," Catalyn panted back. "Now listen, we're going to charge Fai. When I give the signal, we both separate from him. Now charge!"

The two of them charged for Fai, Kuwabara with his aura sword and Catalyn with her flaming fists. Fai counters Kuwabara with a new thunder sword in one hand, and Catalyn with an electrifying punch. Out of the corner of her eye, Catalyn measured the angles. The thunderbolts were almost onto them…

"NOW!" she bellowed.

Kuwabara leaped backwards, tripping over his feet and falling to the floor. Catalyn dove aside, very low to the ground, and somersaulted till she had landed on both hands and feet.

And then the five thunderbolts collided with Fai.

There was a huge explosion, throwing Catalyn and Kuwabara backwards. Kuwabara hit the wall, but Catalyn used her tail to push herself away from it to land smoothly. She covered her face with her arms to protect herself from the smoke. When it cleared, she stifled a gasp. Where Fai once stood was now a pile of ashes. _I love winning my fights,_ she thought, _but not killing. I guess sometimes I have to, whether or not it's on purpose_.

Kuwabara rushed up to the mound and poked it, then laughed. "His goose is cooked!"

"More like toasted," she muttered.

Kurama congratulated the two on their fight. "Excellent strategy, Catalyn," he added with a grin.

Catalyn felt her cheeks go a little pink, but she wasn't sure why. "Thanks. How's your arm doing?"

He looked at it and stretched it a little. "It's healing well," he said. "I'm using a medicinal herb I brought with me to help speed the process. It's not hurting anymore."

She smiled with relief. "That's good."

Kuwabara rushed for the door. "Now we can get out of this dump! Just imagine if Urameshi and Hiei are there waiting for us… _What took you so long? We've been waiting forever!_ Ugh, if either one of them says that I swear I'll pound their faces in!" He turned the knob and it opened easily. The three fighters exited the mirror room and closed the door shut behind them.

Now, they were faced with a long wooden stairway with no rails. Below it was a dark, seemingly bottomless pit. And next to the door they had just exited was another one, which they all knew to be the one Yusuke and Hiei would come from. However, Yusuke and Hiei, contrary to Kuwabara's prediction, were nowhere to be seen.

"Did they go on without us?" Catalyn asked incredulously. "Well, I guess they could have. Hiei's definitely the type to ditch us. After all, he was planning on going by himself in the first place."

"No, Yusuke would make Hiei wait for us," Kurama said confidently. His voice adopted a more serious tone. "I think it's safe to say that they are still in there fighting."

Catalyn pressed one of her ears against the bottom crack of the door. Vaguely, she could hear the racket of a fight. There was a dim yell of, "Spirit Gun!" and the swishing movement of a sword. Then came two grunts and laughter that did not belong to either of them. She sighed as she pulled away.

"Well, boys," she said. "I think it's safe to say that they're losing."


	10. Chapter 10

OMG 3 REVIEWS SO QUICKLY! I'm really really happy now. . Good thing I had this chapter finished ahead of time. . This one is longer than the others but that's because I wanted to keep this in one chapter and not drag it out since really...I don't find it too important. Still, it's part of the storyline. . So I hope you like it! Thanks to my three reviewers you make me feel happy inside! So, three more reviews and I'll update again! . And just because a chapter got three reviews doesn't mean you can't review it as well to give it more! (Wow I just realized how many exclamation marks I used... lol .)

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH.

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CHAPTER TEN – ENTER THE ANIMAL TRIO

Catalyn was expecting the reaction she received: Kurama frowned, and Kuwabara looked stunned. After all, she could understand what they were thinking. How could a tough guy like Hiei and a powerful fighter like Yusuke be losing?

"Let's help them, then!" Kuwabara said, and pounded on the door in an attempt to shove it open. Instead, he was pushed back by an unseen force.

"It appears they don't want anyone interfering with their fights," Kurama said, "but I suppose that's to be expected."

Just then, Catalyn's communication device started beeping. She turned it on to see that Botan was contacting her. "Catalyn, good, you all look well," Botan began, but Catalyn cut her off.

"Kurama, Kuwabara, and I beat Fai, but Yusuke and Hiei are still fighting Kai," she informed her. "And we can't help them."

Botan looked a bit worried. "Well, you can always wait for them, or move on and wait for them to catch up." She grinned, but Catalyn knew it was fake. "After all, they'll probably catch up in no time!"

Catalyn tried to smile back. "Okay, so who's next?" She hated how false her voice sounded.

"The deer girl, Shika. But watch out," Botan warned. "She's ruthless. Utterly vicious. Quite the opposite of Nami."

"Okay, thanks," Catalyn said. "Give Jet and Mari a hug for me." And she turned it off. She looked at Kurama and Kuwabara. "Well? Do we move on or wait it out?"

"Let's wait a good fifteen or so minutes," Kurama said. "That will give us time to rest and recover some more before moving on. But if they don't come, we really should move on." Catalyn and Kuwabara nodded, and the three of them took seats on the cold wooden floor.

Since her ears were the sharpest, Catalyn lay on the floor with her ear to the door crack, listening in to get an idea of how the battle was progressing. She heard the same laughter as before, knowing it must belong to Kai. Then she heard Yusuke's voice: "Hiei, watch out!" There is a blast of some sort, a swoosh of a sword – probably Hiei's katana. The next thing she heard made her freeze: "Hiei, what do you think you're doing? I'm on your side, damn it!" Yusuke yells, there comes the swish of a katana, and then Kai's laughter.

It was all too easy for her to figure out. She remembered Botan's words on Kai's powers all too clearly.

Kurama and Kuwabara noticed her stunned expression. "What's wrong?" they asked.

Catalyn took a deep breath, for she couldn't will herself to believe this was actually happening, and said, "I think Kai has taken control of Hiei's mind. He's having him attack Yusuke."

"WHAT!" Kuwabara yelled. He bent over to listen in but couldn't hear anything.

Kurama tried as well, but to no avail. "Keep us up to date," he said. "Has he hurt Yusuke?"

She listened in hard. Still, all she heard were Yusuke's pleas, Hiei's sword strokes, and Kai's laughter. "He seems okay," she said, "for now, anyway. But Hiei…falling into Kai's trap like that…I wouldn't have expected that."

"Especially with the powers of his Jagan," Kurama agreed. "Perhaps Hiei underestimated him and learned that the hard way?"

Catalyn didn't answer. He was probably right, but she still couldn't believe it. She kept on listening. Yell, swoosh, laugh. Yell, swoosh, laugh… It went on and on. Suddenly she heard a cry of pain and a loud thump.

"Hiei's knocked Yusuke out!" she exclaimed in shock. The others gasped as well.

Then she heard Hiei speak. "Kai, you bastard!" There was the swish of a katana, and this time no laughter followed it.

"But Hiei's broken free," she added. "Or Kai's released him."

"Either way, I doubt Hiei will fall for the same trick twice," Kurama said wisely. "Still, this isn't the best situation for Hiei. Fights are rarely this troublesome for him."

"Spirit gun!"

Catalyn gasped loudly. "Yusuke's okay! He was only pretending to be knocked out!"

They all sighed in relief.

"But the fight is still far from over," Catalyn said.

"I agree," Kurama said, picking himself up. "We should continue."

And so they began to climb the stairs. Each step shook and creaked, giving them the feeling like it would give way from under them at any moment, and they'd fall through the bottomless depths below forever. Still, they managed to reach the top without any near misses. Once at the top, they found themselves standing on some sort of platform with a hard earth ground. It was very wide, but one slip would send them into the darkness. The only way up was the stairs across from them.

"There's no one here," Kuwabara remarked.

That's when they heard the sound of running, and three demons came charging down the stairs. One is in the form of a deer, presumably Shika. Another appears as a fox. The last one appears as a lion, roaring as he charged down to greet them. When they reached the platform, they changed into their more human forms.

The lion transformed into a tall man with shaggy brown hair and massive muscles. He retained his lion's ears and tail, and his nails were very claw-like. His feet were enormous. "You can call me King," he said in a low grumble that made the floor vibrate.

The fox man wore reddish-brown animal skins for clothing, and his hair was that color as well. He also kept his ears and tail. His eyes were small and had a mysterious glint to them. "I'm Mamoru," he announced in a cool voice.

Shika, in her more human form, looked like a mere child, perhaps Mari's age at most. Her ears remained deer's ears, and her skin was slightly paler than a deer's. Her features were delicate and solemn, and her amber eyes emitted a fierce glow. "I'm Shika," she said, in a voice devoid of any innocence. "We are the animal trio, each having the ability to transform into a different animal, but with other powers as well. We, King, Mamoru, and Shika, do challenge you to three one-on-one battles…" she pronounced the next three words with pauses in between, "Winner. Take. All."

King stepped up first, pointing at Kuwabara. "Mamoru and I are a few floors up, but we came down because we couldn't wait to get to kill you guys. I'll take this one."

Kuwabara stepped forward, but Catalyn heard him grumbling, "Why do I always get the giant felines?" Catalyn giggled, having heard Kurama's story about the Four Beasts.

Anyways, Kuwabara summoned his aura sword, but she noticed that it didn't seem as strong as the one he used from his previous battle against Fai.

"Does he have the strength to fight already?" she muttered to herself.

Kurama heard, and he assured her, "Don't worry, Kuwabara has excellent stamina. Besides, he's been through much worse."

"I'll take your word for it," she answered with a smile.

It turned out true. Kuwabara beheaded King with one measly sword stroke. Mamoru and Shika showed no signs of expression. Then the head rolled between Kuwabara, Catalyn, and Kurama, and emitted a huge roar. Catalyn's ears, being especially sensitive, began to pain her so much that it threatened to black her out. Kuwabara and Kurama cover their ears, also in pain, but not as much as her. She covered her ears as tightly as she could but to no avail. The ground shook beneath her and she fell to her knees just as King's entire body, head and all, exploded.

The instant she fell, she was knocked off her feet by the force of the explosion, and she was instantly reawakened. However, she had been unprepared, and the force sent her flying over the edge. She swung her hands wildly, and one hand grabbed hold of the platform. Her nails dug into the ground as she brought up her other hand for another handhold, but she instead grabbed Kurama's hand. He helped her up.

"You okay?" he asked gently.

"Fine," she mumbled, embarrassed with herself. Her knees were quivering. _Damn, damn, _she thought. _I'm not supposed to be weak like this…_

She saw Kuwabara lying facedown on the ground, his eyes wide open. "He's fine," Kurama said with a grin, answering her unasked question. "He's probably in shock. Well, I guess this is his resting period." Together they moved his body out of the way.

Shika laughed coldly. "Well, it's not like I was expecting King's strategy to work, the dimwitted fool. Your turn, Mamoru."

Mamoru stepped forward, as did Kurama. "Well, how about that?" Mamoru said, chuckling. "I know all about you…fox against fox, eh? This should be fun. Care to show me your true form?"

"Sorry, but I'll have to deny your request," Kurama said. He takes out his rose whip, and Mamoru laughs even louder. "Yes?"

Mamoru grabs a fistful of dirt, and it transforms into a whip. The handle is made of bark and rocks, while the whip itself is made of mud, with sharp bits of rocks for thorns. "This is my earth whip," he explained. With one whip crack, he created a large fissure in the platform. "As you can see, it's much more powerful than your rose whip."

"We'll see," Kurama said through gritted teeth.

Almost at once, Mamoru lashed out at Kurama. Kurama parried the blow, redirecting the earth whip, and it created another fissure in the ground. This happened again and again, until Catalyn realized that almost the entire area around Kurama was split up.

"Kurama, he's trapping you!" Catalyn yelled.

Kurama looked her way, and in the fraction of a second, so quick and slight that she wasn't sure it actually happened, he winked. Mamoru took the opportunity to catch Kurama off guard and in that instant, slashed at his cheek. Kurama tried to sidestep, and the whip grazed his cheek.

"You're lucky you looked my way in time," Mamoru said boldly. "Otherwise, you would have been done for. You might want to pay a bit more attention in the fut–" Before he knew it, there was a whip crack, and his cheek was cut exactly like Kurama's. He grinned. "Well, Kurama, at least you're paying attention now. However," he slashed at the ground, and the fissure around Kurama was complete, "when you are aware of your enemy's strategy, it isn't wise to let them go through with it, because that will result in your demise." He slashed the whip through the air and the earth around Kurama began to crack at the edges. Bits of earth began breaking off and falling into the darkness below. Mamoru cracks his whip again, and the shaking stops. Only a small square of land was left around Kurama, so that he had no place to go.

Kuwabara suddenly jumped up, wide awake, and yelled, "Remember Byakko!"

Catalyn frowned. She knew that Byakko was the member of the Four Beasts that Kuwabara fought, but she didn't understand what he meant by it. However, it seemed Kurama did, for he was smiling again.

"Well?" Mamoru asked. "Ready to admit defeat?"

"Not quite," Kurama said with a mischievous smile. With his rose whip, he slashes at the ground beneath him. The ground breaks up and plummets downwards, sending Kurama with it.

Mamoru had been taken aback, but then he sniffed, "Idiot."

"Kurama!" Catalyn yelled, rushing forward. Instantly, something hard on her chest pinned her down. It was Shika, in her deer form. With her front hooves, she was pinning her down, and her eyes were glowing with a fierce silvery-black. Catalyn's fists flamed up, and she tried to push Shika off of her, but Shika brought a hoof to her throat, pressing down on her windpipe so that she couldn't breathe. Catalyn struggled to break free, but it only made things worse. Her eyes began to water.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a whip lashing onto the edge of the fissure, and Kurama flew out of the pit. In one swift movement, he slashed Mamoru's body in half, and the shocked fox demon's body promptly exploded.

"Watch out, Shika," Kurama said threateningly, and Catalyn heard the slashing of a whip. Shika backed off right away, and Catalyn sat up, coughing and massaging her neck. She tried to get up, but her legs felt like jelly. Instead, she sat where she was and watched as Kurama and Shika faced each other. Shika had a cut on her cheek.

"Catalyn, are you okay?" Kuwabara asked worriedly.

"No thanks to you," she muttered, still rubbing her throat.

Botan was right, she realized as she watched Kurama and Shika's fight. In her deer form, Shika was downright vicious. She was stampeding Kurama, without a care for where the rose whip slashed her. With every slash, she ploughed right through, ignoring the blood bursting from her wounds. Her eyes glowed fiercely. "See my regeneration powers!" she roared, and her wounds healed instantly. She dove on top of Kurama, knocking his whip away, and pressed hard on his neck. Kurama winced and choked. "How do you like that?" she asked with a wild grin.

The sight filled Catalyn with so much rage that she was able to stand without faltering. With a burst of speed, she charged for Shika like lightning, slashing her right between the eyes. Shika cried out in agony, and her body exploded.

Kurama and Catalyn were both sprayed with bursts of Shika's black blood. "Eugh!" she exclaimed in disgust, trying to wipe it off. Then she helped Kurama to his feet.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem," she replied. They both smiled.

A loud roar interrupted the moment and Catalyn quickly covered her ears. King stood before them, somehow alive and uninjured. This time, he was in his lion form. "Hmph," he growled. "I thought my roaring technique would be enough. You're not as weak as I thought."

"But – hey! Are you calling me weak?" Kuwabara yelled in anger. "I'll show you!" He lunged for King, his aura sword ready, but just before he reached him, Catalyn whipped some balls of flame at him, and King's body exploded for good, spraying Kuwabara with splotches of blood. Kuwabara stares from her to where King was. Then he yells, "Hey that was my fight!"

"Shut up, baka," she yawned.

Then they all heard a voice, echoing from somewhere unknown. "Come along, climb up the stairs. You'll be in for a surprise." Catalyn gave a start. She knew that voice. It was all too familiar to her, yet she couldn't quite place it. Finally she decided that she must have been imagining that she knew it, and followed the boys up the stairs.

Kurama noticed her hesitant stride. "Something wrong?" he asked quietly. Kuwabara was paying no attention to them.

"I'm not sure," she said. "But shouldn't Yusuke and Hiei be finished by now? We've defeated four demons since we separated and they're still on their first. Is this normal?"

"Don't worry about them," Kurama said. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"I don't know," she said. "I think they're going to lose." Then she was struck by the feeling that she was being really stupid. "Oh, heck, what am I saying?" she scolded herself. "Yusuke and Hiei are strong enough to do well on their own, and why should I give a hoot for Hiei anyways? He's a dumb jerk, really, and I couldn't care less what happens to him."

"I think you're wrong, there," Kurama said, and continued up the stairs.

"Yeah right!" she called after him, storming up. "Don't expect me to come to his rescue anytime soon!"

"It doesn't have to be soon, as long as the time comes," Kurama said.

Fuming, Catalyn went up without another word.

At the top of the stairs, they were greeted by a hallway with three doors. The ones on the left and right were locked, but the door in the middle opened easily. The room was pitch-black. Kuwabara went in first, followed by Kurama and then Catalyn.

Her ears pricked up instantly. "Something's not right about this place," she said, or started to say, because all she got out was "Something's not ri–" and after that, pain exploded in the back of her head, and she screamed. She dimly heard Kurama yell, too, and there is a thump, followed by Kuwabara's yell of, "Hey!" But after that she toppled to the ground, unconscious.


	11. Chapter 11

Hmm I think my chappies are getting a bit longer word-wise...eh, why not? Anyways, I'm uploading this one one review early cuz I'm in a really good mood. But I want three reviews before I update again, you hear? Thanks to the two reviewers.

By the way, it's been pointed out, and I am aware of this, that at random times I shifted from past tense to present tense. This is because The Feline Curse was originally in present tense in quiz format on Quizilla. Yes, the story is mine, it's on my quizilla account (my user is lobogirl-nariko if anyone's interested) but as a fanfic I've been doing a lot of editing, and I think it's much better than the quizzes. However, while I'm recopying the chapters, sometimes I'll accidentally make a verb present tense instead of past tense. So I apologize in advance for any mistakes I may have overlooked. Thanks for understanding!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH. I do own The Feline Curse.

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CHAPTER ELEVEN – CHANGE OF HEART 

When Catalyn returned from insensitivity, she was surprised to feel no pain whatsoever. She also had the strange feeling that she was standing. She opened her eyes. She was in a small, dimly lit room with almost no walking space. She was upright, but her arms and legs were chained to a wall. Kurama was in the same position next to her, still out of it.

"Kurama," she whispered urgently. "Kurama, wake up."

Kurama slowly opened his eyes, looked around, and quietly drank in the situation. "Where's Kuwabara?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered.

Her ears prickled, and she noticed a small TV screen in the corner across from her. It showed Kuwabara, in the dark room from before, his aura sword out. He was fighting a greenish, monstrous looking thing with multiple arms, legs, eyes, tails, ears, mouths, and whatever else possible (just don't stray down the _wrong_ path). "Where are my friends?" Kuwabara was yelling.

"They have been locked away," the monster roared. "Defeat me if you wish to set them free." And they fought.

"I can't believe this happened," Catalyn muttered. She felt weak and ashamed.

Then they heard that same unknown voice echoing throughout the room. "Do you want to know where your two other friends are?"

"Yes!" they both said.

The voice laughed, and the wall in front of them suddenly displayed an image. The screen showed the three doors they had been facing before. The right door opened. The screen went dark, and the scene changed. Now they saw a type of prison like theirs. Yusuke and Hiei were inside. Hiei was lying on the ground, unconscious, with a wound to his back that was covering the floor with blood. Yusuke looked to be on the verge of collapse. He was gasping and banging on the door, but to no avail. Every few seconds he sank to the ground, only to get up and try again hopelessly. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.

Catalyn understood in an instant. "There's no enough air in there!" she exclaimed. "They'll suffocate!"

"How did they get like this?" Kurama demanded.

The voice laughs. "I'm glad you asked," he said, and the screen changed. It showed a clip of Yusuke and Hiei's fight against Kai. Yusuke seemed tired, and his eyes were strangely blank. It was obvious he had fallen under Kai's control. He attacked Hiei ruthlessly, and Hiei merely dodged, though he seemed tired as well. _He doesn't dare attack Yusuke,_ Catalyn thought. _And with Yusuke in the way, he can't attack Kai. _Hiei suddenly put on a huge burst of speed, pretty good for someone who looked as tired as he did, and attacked Kai directly. Still, Kai withstood Hiei's attacks with ease.

Hiei soon found himself caught between Yusuke and Kai, facing Yusuke. He said something that Catalyn couldn't catch, because Kurama said at that moment, "What's he thinking of doing?" and then his eyes widened. Catalyn realized it too. Hiei was going to let Yusuke attack him, to see if that would make Kai release him.

Yusuke fired his spirit gun, and Hiei didn't give an inch. As the blast grew closer, Yusuke snapped out of it and yelled, "HIEI, BEHIND YOU!" Hiei turned slightly to see a second blast, coming from Kai, but it was too late. The blasts hit him from both sides, causing a mighty explosion and sending Hiei flying. He hit a wall and crumpled to the ground, battered and bleeding.

"No!" Yusuke yelled, and he ran over to Hiei. "Hiei, wake up! Hiei!" Then he turned to glare at Kai. "KAI, YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

Kai laughed. "What _you've_ done, you mean," he corrected.

"SHUT UP!" roared Yusuke, and with what seemed to be his last reserves of energy, he fired a massive shotgun blast, causing everything around Kai to explode. Then he fell to the ground, utterly spent.

The screen paused and the voice laughed. Then he said, "His fighting spirit diminished after that last shot. He couldn't even put up a struggle when my servants came in and brought them to their prison. Now they are stuck there with little air. It's only a matter of time before they suffocate – but the shrimp might even bleed to death before then! And there's no point in trying to save them, because even if you do manage to find them, you'll never make it back alive!" He laughed once more and the screen went black.

"We have to try to save them," Kurama said instantly.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Catalyn snapped. "It's not like we can leave these chains whenever we want."

Kurama smiled. "You're wrong there," he said, and pulled himself out of his restraints effortlessly.

Catalyn stared in surprise, but when she tried to break loose, she was able to as well. "What do you know," she mused as they left the room (the door was unlocked), and found themselves in the hallway with the three doors. "Kuwabara's in this one," she said, indicating the middle door. "Let's go help him win his fight and move on."

"We can't do that," Kurama argued. "Yusuke and Hiei will die if no one goes to help them."

"Then you go," Catalyn said. "I'll move on with Kuwabara."

"Didn't you hear what that man said to us?" he said. "It's obvious that it will be very hard to come out of that rescue alive. That's why we both need to go, to improve our rate of success."

"Are you crazy?" she practically yelled. "Why should I risk my neck to save an arrogant jerk and an even worse jerk who has never done anything for me?"

"So this is about debts?" he retorted. "You'll only save someone if they've done something for you?"

"You catch on quick," Catalyn said coldly.

Kurama replied, "If everyone was like that, then no one would ever risk their lives for each other, and everyone would die."

"Good for that. But I'm _not_ risking my life for Hiei."

"You don't have to," he said. "I'll handle Hiei, and you can help Yusuke."

Catalyn considered the proposition for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she said shortly. "I'm not going anywhere near them. Because I'd still be helping Hiei indirectly. I'd rather him die."

"You don't mean that," Kurama said instantly.

"And what do you know?" she asked angrily.

"I know a lot," he answered. "And I know you're still angry with Hiei for what making you pass out after that vampire demon." She flinched. She hated to think about that. Kurama continued, "But you know as well as I do, whether you admit it or not, that Hiei didn't mean for that to happen. He regrets what he did. He's just too ashamed to admit it."

"So what?" she snapped. "The only guilt he might have felt was because you guys were angry with him. Hiei has no heart."

"No heart?" exclaimed Kurama, chuckling in disbelief. "If he didn't have a heart, he would've killed Yusuke while he was under Kai's control and defeated him himself. If Hiei had no heart he would never have gotten the Jagan Eye, the operation that weakened him greatly. And he wouldn't care if Yukina died."

Catalyn just stood there, stunned. She didn't know what to say.

"You have a heart too, Catalyn," Kurama said, more gently than before. "You're a decent person. You're not someone who would let them die."

She remained silent. _Kurama's right_. But she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I know you agree with me," he said. Something in his voice surprised her. It was filled with bitter sadness. "See what's happened to humanity? Everyone's developed a huge ego, and no one can admit it when they're wrong because it would ruin who they are, or who they pretend to be." She knew he was right, and the reality was quite sad. She knew he was right, but she couldn't admit it she was wrong even though she knew he was right and couldn't admit she was wrong… and so on. Kurama continued, "Besides, you've told me a lot about yourself. I know you used to train at a prestigious martial arts school. Surely your sensei had mentioned rescues and justice?"

Yes, he had. "Someone with a true fighting spirit would never back down from a challenge, and would always fight for justice," he would say. "They never hesitate to do what's right. Whether it's rivals or enemies, true fighters know to join together when it counts, and to bring peace. That's what true fighters strive for. Never forget that."

Catalyn looked at the ground sadly. How could she have forgotten one of her most important lessons? It didn't matter if she hated Hiei. It didn't matter if she still hated him after the rescue. What mattered was that the rescue took place.

"I was wrong," she said slowly, looking up at Kurama. She paused. "I'm sorry." She felt ashamed saying that, but almost instantly she began to feel better. Kurama put a hand on her shoulder. She added, "Even if I feel resentful towards Hiei, it shouldn't stop me from helping when his life is on the line."

Kurama smiled, and she smiled back. "You can hate him all you like," he said, "just as long as you help." She nodded, and together they opened the door that would lead to Yusuke and Hiei. "Let's go."

It was pitch black. Catalyn took a step and instantly felt herself falling. Kurama grabbed her by the waist and pulled her up. This time, she felt the ground cautiously with one foot, but there was nothing there. She summoned flames to light the way, but all they illuminated was her and Kurama.

"Hmm," Kurama said, pulling a rose out of his hair. "This is interesting." He summoned his rose whip and felt around with it. It touched solid ground a few meters ahead and above. Kurama jumped, and she jumped after him, landing safely next to him. They looked at each other and nodded.

With Kurama's whip as their guide, they navigated themselves further away from the entrance, steadily rising higher and higher, avoiding a few misses where one had to catch the other. Finally, the whip touched the ceiling above them, and there was nowhere else for them to go.

"It's a trap," Catalyn said, weighing the odds. "Yusuke and Hiei are probably fine, and the Ten lured us here for nothing."

"Impossible," Kurama said. "That video was too real. Besides, I feel air coming from somewhere.

She stopped and closed her eyes, letting her ears do the work. Sure enough, she felt air coming from the left. She told Kurama, and he searched with his rose whip. It hooked onto what was unmistakably a door handle, but there was no landing beneath it.

"Keep the whip like that, and hold it tightly," Catalyn instructed, having thought of something. She jumped onto the whip and balanced herself. Then, she began to walk through the darkness towards the handle.

"Be careful," Kurama warned, making sure he didn't loosen his grip.

"Don't worry," she assured him with a smile, using her tail to help keep her balance. "This is baby stuff." She reached the door and bent the handle. The door opened a crack, but it pulled the whip. She didn't want it pulling Kurama off his platform. "Okay, let the rose whip off the handle," she said. Kurama obliged and as she felt herself falling, she pushed herself into the door and it opened all the way, taking her into a lit hallway. "Nothing invisible here!" she called happily. Kurama joined her seconds later.

The hall was narrow, but she couldn't see the end. Up ahead, taking up the whole space, was a black sort of cloud, as if inside was a storm. She reached out to touch it, and her arm kept going through, and the force pulled her in. Acting through reflex, she reached for Kurama's hand the same moment he reached for her, and they connected, dragging him in as well.

Inside the cloud, it was dark, but things were still visible. As Catalyn's eyes adjusted, she realized that they were in a forest. She sniffed the air. It smelled almost fake. "Something's wrong here."

"Yes," Kurama agreed. "This is probably an illusion of some sort. Our best bet would be to just walk right through, without letting ourselves get distracted. Stick to the path. If you don't you'll never make it out."

She nodded, and they began to walk side by side. She kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead of them, refusing to look anywhere else. _Illusions will get to you the moment you set eyes on them,_ she told herself. She could hear the chirping of imaginary birds. Something bumped against her leg. She turned to see what it was, but Kurama grabbed her arm.

"They're all illusions," he reminded her. She nodded, he let go, and they continued, with Catalyn trailing slightly behind. "You know, Catalyn, illusions will try to get you by showing you what you want – or even fear – the most. You just have to remind yourself that they're not real, and keep going. We'll make it out."

"I know," she said.

They continued walking in silence for a few minutes. Then Kurama stopped short. Catalyn followed his gaze. It was –

With a sort of cry, Kurama rushed into the darkness.

"Kurama!" she screamed, and hurried to follow him, but she tripped over a tree branch, which reminded her that she had to stick to the path no matter what.

The same voice from before echoed throughout the forest. "Now we have your friend the fox demon too," he said. "Now there are three to save, and only one of you to do it. You'll never make it out alive."

"Oh yeah?" she retorted boldly, to distract herself from the cold feeling seeping through her body. "Well, I'll prove just how wrong you are! I'll rescue Kurama and Yusuke – and Hiei – and we'll all make it out alive!" With fresh determination, she set out once more.

However, she'd been walking a while, and still the path showed no signs of ending. _When will this illusion end?_ Catalyn asked herself. _Have I been walking in circles? What exactly did Kurama see that made him stray from the path? Is he okay? Will I even be able to make it at this rate?_

Suddenly two small thumps ran into her, and she looked down. It was Jet and Mari. "We found you! We found you!" they chanted.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"We came to look for you," Jet said proudly.

"Botan was boring," Mari added. "But now, we get to play with you!"

They began to drag her off, and she did nothing to stop them. "So, can we play monsters?" asked Jet eagerly.

"Can we play house?" Mari demanded.

Each of them grabbed an arm, tugging it in the opposite direction. "Play! Play! Play!" they cheered.

Then Catalyn remembered her mission, and tried to break away. "I can't!" she exclaimed. "I have to save the others!"

They only pulled harder, and their faces broke into evil, identical smiles. "No!" they said. "You have to play with us now!"

That was the last straw. "I don't have time for this!" Catalyn screamed. "Hiei's gonna bleed to death unless someone treats his wound, and with the closed amount of air, he and Yusuke will be breathing in so much carbon dioxide that they will _both_ die!" With that, she pulled herself free, and found herself staring up into Kurama's face.

"What? Kurama!" she cried. They were in a different hallway this time. It was wider and unfamiliar to them.

"I guess you fought off the illusions," he said with a smile.

Catalyn didn't understand. "But you! How did you get out?"

"Simple," he answered. "I never got in. When I tried to grab your hand, I was too late. And when I walked through I found myself here, on the other side. You were the only one stuck in the illusion, and once you defeated it, you exited. Now, we're on another level of the mansion."

_I get it now,_ Catalyn thought. _I never grabbed his hand. It was an illusion from the start._

Kurama took her hand in his. "Come on," he said. "We've wasted enough time as it is. We have to find Hiei and Yusuke, quick."

She nodded, and they hurried to the end of the hall and towards the door that stood there, somehow knowing that they'd reached their destination…


	12. Chapter 12

Three reviews, yay! I hope you guys enjoy this one. When it was in quiz format, it was definitely one of my best, so I hope this story-format version of it reflects that. Enjoy! Three more reviews and I update!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH.

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CHAPTER TWELVE – PANIC AND RESCUE

Kurama and Catalyn sprinted down the long hallway, knowing that the door at the end would lead them to Hiei and Yusuke. Suddenly, the floor behind them began to crumble and disappear, revealing only darkness awaiting them if they should fall. Catalyn kept throwing glances back as they ran, and was startled to see that the floor was catching up to them.

"Faster!" she cried, and they ran even harder, racing against the falling floor, trying to make it to the door. The floor crumbled at their heels. Catalyn grabbed Kurama's hand and pulled him with her. "Break down the door!" she gasped.

With his rose whip, Kurama broke the door and they dove through, just as the rest of the floor dissolved into nothingness. They found themselves sitting on a cold marble floor, trying to catch their breaths. After a few moments, they both stood.

"Ready?" she asked with a half-smile. He nodded and smiled back, and so they continued walking.

After walking forward across the marble floor, they reached a glowing, neon green staircase. It led upwards, but branched off into many different directions, each one leading to a different door. There were dozens of doors.

Catalyn analyzed the situation. Dozens of doors, only a slim chance of finding the right one… How long would it take them to search through them all? Way too long. "How should we do this?" she murmured. "Should we split up, or is there a way to find them?"

Kurama was silent for a moment. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be concentrating on something. Finally he said, "I think I'm sensing a weak energy coming from the top-most door."

"Whose is it?" she asked eagerly.

"Yusuke," Kurama answered. He paused, and added gravely, "Right now, even though I'm trying, I can't sense Hiei at all."

Catalyn's heart sank like a stone. Yusuke's energy was weak, and Hiei's was gone. Were they too late to save either of them now? She tried to think of something positive, to reassure herself that she didn't go through all of that hassle for nothing. "Well," she said, trying to sound optimistic and failing miserably, "maybe they're just too far away for you to sense them properly, or something's interfering…" She trailed off. She wasn't fooling herself in the least.

Kurama nodded. Even though it was obvious he knew she was sounding false, he seemed to cling to that one last hope anyway. He pointed all the way up, to the end of the tallest staircase, where a golden door was waiting. "That's where they'll be," he said, and they started the long trek up the stairs.

Catalyn started counting how many steps they were passing, but there were so many she felt herself losing track constantly. _Sixty-five…sixty-six…sixty-six – no, sixty-seven…_ There were just too many, and each step weighed down on not only her body, but her spirits as well. _One hundred and three…one hundred and four…_

"Catalyn?"

She looked up slowly, only to find that Kurama wasn't in front of her.

"Catalyn, up here."

She lifted her head even higher, and found Kurama many, many steps ahead of her, and therefore much higher up.

He looked genuinely concerned. "Are you doing okay?" He began to walk back down towards her, and when he was close enough, he extended her his rose whip. "Here, I'll pull you up to my level."

Catalyn took the end of the whip gratefully, and he pulled her up. "Stay there," he told her. "I'll pull you up again when I get a bit higher." And he did that over and over again.

Catalyn couldn't believe how weak she'd gotten. Why was this? What had happened to her to make her like this? Endurance had never been a problem for her. It was something she excelled in. So why now? Was it because she hadn't yet recovered from the vampire demon? It seemed so long ago, and she thought she'd been completely cured. _Well, healed or not, I shouldn't be letting that stop me right now,_ she thought fiercely, and commenced walking again on her own. _I'm not going to let my weakness get the better of me._

Finally, after God knew how many steps, they reached the golden door. Kurama pushed the door open. Yusuke was right in front of them, panting on the floor, about to collapse. Behind him, Hiei lay still unconscious, but still breathing.

"Made it!" she sighed in relief, and instantly taking in some of the dirty air. She coughed, but at least there was now some clean air flowing into the room.

Yusuke tried to say something, but he was so exhausted that nothing came out. Kurama bent over him and helped him to stand. "Can you tend to Hiei?" he asked her.

"I already told you I wouldn't," she protested, slightly annoyed, but one look into Kurama's eyes forced her to oblige. Bending over Hiei, she wondered with what she could use to tie up his wound. She looked down at the bandages on her arms, and then to Yusuke, whose eyes were closed. Then she shook her head. _Kurama has already seen, but still…no, I can't._ "Kurama, I have nothing to bandage this with," she said.

Kurama ripped off a long piece of his clothing (that long yellow thing he wears sometimes, I don't know what it's called) and handed it to her. She wrapped it around Hiei's back, covering the wound, but blood would start to show through soon. "This won't last long at all," she said. "We'd better get out of here fast."

"Why don't you contact Botan and ask her to meet us on one of the lower floors?" Kurama asked. "She can probably bring first-aid for Hiei. Plus, she has a small amount of healing powers, which could be of use."

"Good idea," she said. She took out the communication device, called Botan, and explained the situation. "Can you meet us on the fourth floor?" she asked.

"I'll be right there," Botan replied. "But what should I do with Jet and Mari?"

Catalyn thought for a minute. "Uh, just bring them with you for now. It's not like you'll be staying long or anything. They won't be in danger."

"I'll be there as fast as I can," Botan said, and they broke their connection.

Catalyn lifted up Hiei's body until he was in a semi-standing position where she could support him with one arm. With her supporting Hiei and Kurama helping Yusuke, they left the intoxicated room and headed back down the stairs.

The only problem was, when they reached the bottom of the stairs, they weren't facing the same door anymore. To make matters worse, all of the other doors had disappeared.

"We'll have to take this one, I guess," Catalyn said, opening the door and taking a step.

Instantly she felt herself falling down some sort of chute. She half-screamed and let the momentum of the many twists, turns, and bumps send her and Hiei flying. After one particularly nasty bump, she saw a fork in the drop, just as she lost her grip on him. He headed towards the left fork, while she was sliding to the right. "No!" she yelled, and pushed herself left, falling headfirst after Hiei. She reached for Hiei's wrist, but there was another bump, sending the two of them flying through the air and out of the tunnel. Yelling, she landed in a pool of water with an almighty splash.

As soon as her head found the surface, she coughed up the disgusting water. She was in the middle of a circular pool about fifteen meters in radius, filled with nasty greenish water with a decaying odour. It was dimly lit, and there was a narrow cement border around it, leading to a door.

She looked around frantically for Hiei. Had he gone under already? Then she saw the tips of his spiky black hair sinking a few meters to her right. In a panic, she took a quick breath and dove under to get him. Surprisingly, her vision was quite clear, and she figured the pool was as deep as it was wide. Hiei was sinking quickly, and she didn't like the look of the shadows looming nearer. She rose to the surface, took the biggest breath she could muster, and dove back under to get Hiei back.

She swam as fast as she could after the sinking body, but at the same time, she struggled. It wasn't that she couldn't swim. She just greatly disliked water. After all, she was part cat, and cats hated water. But it wasn't just hate she felt. She was scared of water. She was scared of drowning, like she'd almost done when she was little. Scared of having no air left when she'd finally accomplished the feet of touching the bottom. Scared of becoming trapped in a tangled mess of seaweed, with no hope of escape whatsoever. She could feel her fear pulling her back, telling her, _you don't belong here. You can't do this. You'll die if you do this. Come back to the surface. Breathe. Live. _She desperately wanted to listen to it, and forget about Hiei and stay safe.

Still she fought on. She fought through her fear and the water's current as she swam deeper and deeper, trying to reach Hiei's limp body. He was sinking faster than she could swim, and he was nearing the seaweed-covered floor. Catalyn's eyes widened in horror when she saw the swaying strips of green, and swam even faster. She reached as far as she could, and grabbed onto Hiei's wrist. She sighed in relief, accidentally letting out some of the air she still had reserved, and began to pull him back up.

As she swam higher, she was suddenly pulled back. She looked below her to see that Hiei's ankle was tangled in a mass of seaweed! In a desperate panic, she clawed at the seaweed, trying to rip it apart. She choked on the water. Fear was the only thing driving her then. She viciously ripped the seaweed apart, accidentally making a cut in Hiei's ankle. Still, he was free, and she could continue upwards. She kicked as hard as she could, struggling to pull Hiei's weight up with her. She'd used up all of her air. If she didn't make it up soon, she'd die.

Something else stopped her. Suddenly surrounding her was a gang of demon fish, with sharp scales and layers of razor-sharp teeth. She recognized this type of fish, having seen some before. They were like sharks, and loved to feast on human flesh when they smelled blood. Catalyn looked at Hiei's back wound. The bandage covered it. Then she caught sight of his ankle, the one she had accidentally cut when freeing him from the seaweed. The cut was bleeding slightly. And the fish charged.

With her free hand, Catalyn slashed at the demon fish, trying to protect herself and Hiei at the same time. One fish tried to clamp its jaws around Hiei's ankle, but she slashed it with her tail. The fish bit that instead. She yelped in pain, choking on even more water than before. She was completely out of air now. There was nothing left. Her vision dimmed at the edges. Still, she tried to fight the fish, but she was so focused on fighting that Hiei's weight was dragging her down. Desperately she pushed Hiei's body up as hard as he can, praying he'd reach the surface, and with her lungs feeling like they would burst, slashed wildly at the demon fish, somehow managing to kill them all.

After she'd done that, though, she was deprived of all strength, and just kept sinking. Hiei was nowhere to be seen, and her vision was steadily darkening. _I couldn't save him! _Catalyn thought. _He sank! And now…I'm gonna drown…can't breathe…can't make it up…ugh…_

Her vision blanked. She felt a pair of strong arms pull her upwards, and suddenly, she was at the surface, coughing up water, but breathing. Breathing air. She was still alive! Kurama was swimming her to the edge of the pool, where Hiei and Yusuke lay, both of them safe and sound.

Kurama helped her onto the cement before pulling himself out. Once there, Catalyn collapsed to the ground, hyperventilating. He rubbed her back gently. "Easy," he said softly. "Take it easy. Just take deep breaths. Don't worry. You're still alive. Everything's okay." She tried to breathe deeply, but all that came out were tight gasps.

With Kurama at her side, after a few minutes, she was able to calm down. With shuddering breaths, she said, "I was so scared out there…" and promptly burst into tears.

He put his arms around her, waiting patiently for her to calm down. "You're safe now," he kept repeating. "I won't let anything happen to you now." Finally, she was ready to move on.

And so they continued. Catalyn was supporting Yusuke, who had come to and just needed a bit of help to walk. It was easier than to support Hiei, who still hadn't woken up, so Kurama took care of him. Once through the door, they found themselves back in the fourth floor hallway. Somehow, they'd managed to succeed in their rescue.

"Glad that's over with," Catalyn said with a sigh.

"Yeah," Yusuke agreed. "Now I can kick demon butt again."

"In that condition?" she scoffed. "You wouldn't last a minute."

"Well, neither would you!" he retorted.

"I know that!" she snapped.

"That's why we're resting here, and waiting for Botan," Kurama interrupted, ending the argument. He placed Hiei's body on the floor.

"What about me?" yelled a familiar voice, and the middle door burst open, revealing a tired but otherwise well Kuwabara. "Took forever to beat that thing…wow, what happened to you guys? And look at you, Urameshi, you can't even stand on your own two feet!"

"Shut your trap!" Yusuke yelled, breaking free from Catalyn, and the two boys fought.

…Later, once both boys collapsed from exhaustion and were unable to continue their fight…

"That wasn't wise," Kurama said, sighing as he stared at the two boys, who were panting on the ground.

"As if we don't already have enough to deal with," Catalyn sighed, sitting against the wall with her eyes closed.

"Big sister! Big sister!"

Catalyn opened her eyes. Jet and Mari were running up the stairs towards them, with Botan following close behind. She smiled as they jumped onto her, wincing in pain all the same, but she hugged them back anyways. "How've you been?" she asked them.

"Really good!" Jet said.

"Botan played with us!" Mari added.

Catalyn looked at Botan, who gave her a weary grin. Then she got to work. She let Kuwabara and Yusuke help themselves to her first-aid kit, fixed Kurama's arm while she was at it, and tended to Hiei.

After she had finished, she looked at Hiei's sleeping form, shaking her head. "Of all of you, I was certain he'd be the last to end up like this," she commented.

"We all did," Kurama said. "We're just as surprised as you are."

Then Botan caught sight of Catalyn. Her arms were limp at her sides, and she seemed to be sleeping. Botan shooed the guys away and fixed up her bandages and other things. When she'd finished, she went to speak with them.

"She sure is tired," Botan commented.

"We all are," Kurama said. Sure enough, Yusuke and Kuwabara were sleeping on the floor as well. "We've all been through a lot so far."

"Well, take care then," Botan said. "I guess I'd better get going."

Catalyn awoke with a start, noticed that her bandages had been changed, and thanked Botan. "So are you going back with Jet and Mari now?" she asked.

Botan nodded. "Yeah," she said, which triggered protests from Jet and Mari.

"Don't worry," Catalyn told them. "I have a job for you two. Can you guys go and recruit as many demons as possible to help rebel against the Ten?"

Everyone awake in the hall gasped when they heard her idea.

Catalyn explained, "The Ten may have given the demons here a home, but that means nothing if they're going to take advantage of them. We can offer them peace and freedom. I'm sure they'd stand up for our cause."

"You're right," Kurama said, smiling.

So Botan left with Jet and Mari, both who promised to make their big sister proud.

Once they were gone, Catalyn leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. "Resting again?" Kurama asked.

"Now's the best chance," she murmured, and said no more, for she had already fallen asleep.

Kurama settled himself against the wall as well and relaxed. There were still three of the Ten left, and probably the most powerful ones as well. At this point, they'd need any period of rest they could get.


	13. Chapter 13

Yayness for another chappie! I hope you all enjoy it. This is actually one of my favorite scenes from this fic. (Of course, there are many others to come, but you'll have to be patient for those.) Remember, three reviews and I'll update!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, but I do own The Feline Curse...I've just noticed I don't bold my disclaimer anymore...ah whatever it does the job.

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN – DARK MASTER OF ILLUSIONS

Catalyn woke up slowly, like one would when waking up on a long weekend. Her senses returned to her bit by bit, and, yawning, she opened her eyes. She felt refreshed and full of energy. That power nap sure did her good.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were waking up as well. Kurama was already standing.

"Rest well?" he asked Catalyn.

She nodded vigorously as she stood up and stretched. "Yeah, really well," she said. "I feel ready to take on the last three alone and then some!"

Yusuke rubbed his eyes. "Aw, don't be selfish, save some of the fun for me."

"Yeah, yeah," she giggled. "I was kidding." She was amazed with how good she felt. She hadn't felt that energetic in a while, and she missed that feeling. Suddenly everything was enough to make her smile.

As soon as they had all stretched and felt ready to go, with Kurama supporting the inert Hiei, they entered the dark room Kuwabara had been fighting in. This time, the room was fully lit, and there were splotches of blood in random places. At the other side of the room was an elevator.

"And it's all thanks to me we can get in there!" Kuwabara said proudly.

"You won a fight, big deal," Yusuke mumbled.

"Yeah, well you lost yours," Kuwabara countered.

Yusuke snapped, "No, I blew the guy to smithereens!"

"And you hurt Hiei!"

Yusuke punched Kuwabara so hard that he went flying across the room. "Shut your trap if you know what's good for you," he said in a low, extremely threatening voice. Catalyn had never seen him look scary like that.

The two boys charged for each other, both very angry. With a huge sigh, Catalyn took off, moving faster than either of them thanks to her newly found energy, and as they punched, she grabbed their fists in an iron-hard grip, her claw-like nails scratching their knuckles. They tried to pull away, but she held tight.

"Save your little grudges for later," she ordered. "We're not finished here yet." Then, leaping into a perfect split, she released them and kicked them both in the chest. Then she created reiki barriers to stop them from falling hard. They got up, glaring, but speechless.

"Well," Kurama said, "let's board the elevator."

As soon as they had boarded and the doors closed, the elevator shot up with shocking speed. A few seconds later, it stopped, then plummeted downwards. Then the cycle repeated itself over and over again, with the spirit detectives screaming inside.

"Kurama!" Catalyn yelled. "What floor do we need to get to?"

"How many levels have we been on?" he yelled back.

"This is the fourth floor!" she answered. "But how many floors did we climb to get to Hiei and Yusuke?"

Kurama thought about it, as Yusuke and Kuwabara screamed and prayed he'd hurry up. "There were three!" he cried suddenly.

"Then set the elevator to the eighth floor!" she shrieked.

As soon as Kurama pushed the button labelled with the glowing number eight, the elevator abruptly shuddered and stopped. Then the doors opened, and they stumbled out of the elevator, relieved. The room was dark, lit mainly by the stars in the night sky.

_Wait a minute,_ she thought to herself. _Stars? Sky?_

Then she understood. The room was made to resemble the outdoors at night. The grounds were covered in grass, there were trees in random places, and it seemed like the sky was cloudless and filled with stars. However, it was impossible to tell the walls from the ceiling, let alone where the walls and ceiling actually were.

Just then, one of the nearest tree branches cracked. They all jumped. Kurama put Hiei down next to the elevator door and readied his rose whip. They all entered their fighting stances.

"Someone's on that branch," Catalyn muttered. "Be careful, I think this place is just an illusion. The enemy must be a master of illusions to create a room like this." She thought to herself, _this could be the one who created the illusion I went through earlier._

"You're quite right," came a male voice from the tree. Then, suddenly, he appeared right in front of her. He looked pretty much human, with long black hair, tight black clothing, and a black cape. He wore a black mask to cover all of his face except for his eyes, which were black and reminded Catalyn of never-ending tunnels. "Greetings, spirit detectives," he said in a smooth, icy voice. "I am Yami, master of darkness and illusions." With that, he vanished, and appeared again right behind her.

Catalyn froze as he reached out and stroked her chin with a long, nimble finger. Her whole body felt a chill – his fingers were like ice.

"Sweet demon girl, why do you side yourself with humans?" he asked silkily. She made no reply, just held her breath. Then he vanished, and appeared next to Kurama. "And tell me, Kurama, why did you switch from being a demon thief to a human detective? I want answers, both of you."

"I'm still human," Catalyn retorted at the same time that Kurama said, "I'm still demon."

Yami vanished and reappeared in front of the four of them, further back. "I know you are, my sweets," he simpered. "But sweet kitten, if that's the case, those demonic powers do not suit you. Either give them up and remain human, or become full demon and join me."

"Don't tell me what to do," she snapped. "But since I've got my powers, I figure I might as well use them to destroy what I hate most: demons like you."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Yami, and he turned to Kurama. "If you are still a demon, what made you side with humans?"

Kurama answered smoothly, "One with evil intentions such as yourself couldn't possibly understand that."

That was when Kuwabara whined, "Hey, why do they get so much attention? I deserve some too, much less Urameshi!"

Yami shot him a piercing look. "Weak humans don't peak my interest."

Both humans' fists clenched. "Weak humans, eh?" Yusuke growled.

From the look in Yami's eyes, Catalyn figured he was smiling. "You can try to prove yourselves to me, if that makes you content," he said. "But you might regret it. Actually, take that back. You won't even have time to regret it. You'll be dead before you have the chance."

Catalyn raised her arms, her claws glinting. "We'll see who kills who," she said calmly.

Yami's eyes were narrowed. "Sweet kitten, I'd be delighted to fight you and the handsome Kurama as well. I wouldn't want you to get jealous, thinking I'll only battle the weak ones." He sighed as they all glared at him. "I guess you want to die with the humans, then. Fine by me, I suppose. Being able to see you die side by side is much more enjoyable, as well as appealing to the eye."

Before he could utter another word, Kuwabara and Yusuke had both launched themselves at Yami. Right before Kuwabara's aura sword and Yusuke's fist came into contact, he vanished. Catalyn looked around and tried to sniff him out in the darkness, but it didn't work.

"Stand together, back to back," Kurama advised, and they all did so, waiting for Yami to reappear.

His voice echoed throughout the room, making it impossible to locate. "With my powers of illusion, I can make myself invisible to you, and I can manipulate my powers to make it so you cannot pinpoint my exact location. Plus, with my stealth skills, I can sneak up on you anytime I want. I work best in the darkness after all. You'll be dead before you even feel my blow."

Catalyn tried as hard as she could to find him, but she couldn't sense his energy. Still, she kept at it, hoping maybe she'd find something else along the way… Then she gasped in surprise. She'd found a way!

"What's wrong?" Yusuke asked.

She smiled. "If we can't see in the dark, what do we do?" She answered herself, "We turn on the lights." She summoned balls of flame to her fists and threw them across the room in different directions, slightly illuminating the room. Yami's shadow darted to her right. She dashed up to meet him, and grabbed onto his arms, holding them tightly.

"Fire isn't enough," Yami said mysteriously, and he vanished again.

Catalyn was left holding only air. _But how? My grip was solid…_ she thought. Even so, this surprise could not mask her triumph. Suddenly the night sky disappeared, and light returned to the room. Yami was right next to Kurama, and had to jump back quickly as the rose whip lashed out. He was evidently startled.

"How?" he asked incredulously.

Catalyn grinned. "Like all places with no connection to the outdoors, light comes and goes from a switch. I wasn't just searching for you, Yami. I was trying to find your switch. You camouflaged it with your illusions, but you forgot to hide your own aura from lingering around it." She held up a small bush from the ground. "The switch was in here." Her fist around the switch flamed up, and the switch was reduced to ashes. "You're exposed now, and there's nothing you can do about it." She grinned at the others, and they all grinned back. "Ready to die, Yami?"

Though Yami was surprised, there were no signs of fear in his eyes. "Very good, sweet kitten," he hissed calmly. "But that won't be enough to defeat me." Then he began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Yusuke asked warily.

"You humans are so naïve," chuckled Yami. "You really have no idea what my powers can do. Here, I'll give you a little demonstration. Watch closely, now. I wouldn't want you to miss this." He extended an arm, his open palm facing one of the smaller trees. What seemed to be dark waves of energy were released and flowed into the wood. They ate at the tree, making it smaller and smaller, until it was nothing but a wooden sword. Yami picked it up. "Look, I've even created myself a bokuto." He fixed his gaze upon his enemies, staring them down. "My dark waves will engulf you, devour you, and eat away at your very soul. You can't escape it." He gave another chuckle. "Plus, with my powers of illusion, I can create clones of myself, and you'd never be able to tell the difference." Sure enough, he closed his eyes, and suddenly there were five of him facing the spirit detectives.

"Four clones and one original," Catalyn muttered to herself. "Okay," she said to the guys. "Let's each take one, and then move on to the real thing. This shouldn't be too hard."

At the same time, they all leaped away to face one of Yami's clones.

With tremendous speed, Catalyn slashed at one of the clones and it disappeared. Her ears prickled. The clone's energy was still in the air all around her, and there was a faint gust of wind. No doubt the clone was circling her. She just had to find it.

The original Yami sat comfortably in a tree. He said, "One of my basic techniques is to disappear and reappear faster than you can keep track." He nodded over her shoulder.

Instantly she whirled around in time to see the swish of a bokuto. The next second, there was a bleeding gash in her left shoulder. She stumbled and clutched her wound with her good hand, then looked at her palm. It was smeared with blood, but she wiped it on her pant leg and tried to ignore the pain. But the clone had vanished again.

_The clone is nothing, _she decided. _I need to get the real thing._ So she charged for the tree Yami was sitting in instead.

"Tsk, tsk," Yami murmured.

His clone appeared right in front of her, the bokuto aiming for her head. She ducked as fast as she could, then pushed off of the ground with her feet and tail, above the clone. She snapped a tree branch to take with her as she soared upwards, and then came down. She whizzed down and kicked the clone hard, but he blocked it with both hands on the bokuto. Catalyn pushed the branch down hard on his skull and pushed herself over him. As soon as she landed behind him, her fist flaming, she punched the back of its neck. The clone fell to the ground and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Yami jumped down from his tree. The other three clones had been vanquished as well, with the boys, though slightly injured, still ready to put up a tough fight.

Yusuke cracked his knuckles. "Seriously," he said. "If you wanted us to beat you so easily you could have just asked."

"Yeah!" Kuwabara added, pointing his aura sword at him.

Kurama said nothing – his expression was enough.

Catalyn joined in the trash talking. "So, why don't you fight us face to face, instead of cowering behind your illusions?"

She knew right away that she'd touched a nerve, for Yami's eye narrowed dangerously. "You will seriously regret saying such things to me," he growled softly, his voice filled with menace. She just stared right back at him, never letting her gaze falter. He began to walk towards her, trying to stare her down. But she would not look away, at least not until he did first.

Finally he was right in front of her. He put a hand on her injured shoulder, and it stung. But she didn't give an inch. "I know you can hurt," he whispered, almost amused.

Without dropping her gaze, she raised her right arm and prepared the strongest flaming punch she could muster. Yami caught it with his other hand. Dark waves flowed from his hand into hers. She gasped in surprise, her eyes still on Yami, trying hard not to cry out. It felt as if her skin was being sliced off bit by bit with a razor-sharp knife, delivering electrifying pain each time. Beads of sweat rolled down her face as she kept glaring, trying not to give any indication that she was in pain. She clenched her teeth together and bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood. She couldn't break Yami's grip. And she couldn't look away.

"Spirit gun!" Yusuke's attack hit Yami's arm, and he released her instantly. He turned away from her and faced the boys, who were all charging him.

Catalyn fell to her knees and gasped when she saw her hand. It looked completely red and raw and was bleeding in many places. It hurt to even move it.

Kurama jumped back after attacking with his rose whip. "Are you okay, Catalyn?" he asked worriedly.

She winced. "Yeah, fine," she lied, trying to shake it off. Her hand was throbbing and stinging painfully, and it was almost too hard to ignore. Then she and Kurama joined Yusuke and Kuwabara in their all-out assault against Yami.

Yami proved to be very fast, even without relying on his illusionary tricks. If one of them even did manage to make contact, he would send dark waves into their flesh, forcing them to retreat. Now that Catalyn's right hand, the one she relied on most, was out of commission, she knew she couldn't afford to make contact with Yami again. She knew one more hit to her hand would destroy it completely. She wasn't about to charge in recklessly, and respected her limits. Instead, she tried her best to provide the boys with opportunities. She aimed mostly for the bokuto, where he couldn't emit dark waves. But eventually, they all retreated to gather more strength.

Yami didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, he seemed pleased. "I know all humans are fragile and tire eventually," he said. "And Kurama, this little seed of yours is of no use if I can just devour it." He held up a small green speck, which he dissolved in his fingers instantly. "And as for you two human boys, you may not be ordinary humans, but having spiritual fortitude means nothing against me." Then he looked at Catalyn. "If you're not going to attack me full-out, don't even bother trying," he advised. "I didn't even need to try to avoid your blows. I could sense your hesitation with each attack you made. They had no strength."

Her fists clenched so hard that it hurt her right hand especially. "Shut up!" she snapped angrily.

"Easy," cautioned Kurama. "Don't be rash."

"Would you rather me lie?" Yami sneered.

That did it. She charged for Yami, all holds barred. She focused all of her power into her right fist, causing it to explode with pain, but she followed through and released her most powerful punch ever. But before she made contact, the butt of the bokuto collided with her stomach. She flew through the air, hit the wall hard, coughed out blood, and fell sprawled on the floor, fighting the dizziness that plagued her.

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama all tried a joint attack, but Yami fired a dark ball of energy into each of their stomachs, sending them all to the ground, where they struggled to sit up.

Yami laughed sharply. "What a lovely sight!" he swooned. "Four valiant but weak fighters, too cocky and just not good enough, lying on the floor in front of me, their lives in my hands. What should I do? Spare them? No, I simply must see them die. Should I kill them one at a time? That would definitely add to the suffering. But no, I shall kill them all together, for those who fight together die together! How utterly sad indeed!" And he laughed even harder. Then he stopped abruptly.

Catalyn had risen to her feet, swaying. She could feel her aura blazing around her. She was so angry, yet so cool at the same time. Two words echoed in her brain over and over, becoming her universe, her one train of thought: _Destroy him! Destroy him! DESTROY HIM!_

"Catalyn, don't, he'll kill you," Kurama cried urgently.

But she paid him no heed. Her arms tingled terribly. All she could think about were those two words: _Destroy him! Destroy him! DESTROY HIM!_

As Kurama stared at Catalyn, too weak to stop her, he was shocked by what he saw. Something was wrong. She was angry, her aura had flared, and her fists were clenched, but there was definitely something wrong. Something in her eyes…

"Catalyn, don't!" he yelled one last time, but she'd already charged. And then –

Yami appeared behind her and twisted her right arm behind her back, pushing her forwards. One of his hands was on her fist again, just like before. She looked back over her shoulder at him, her eyes wide and her breaths coming in gasps. How could be, that after all that, he stopped her? Now he was in the perfect position to kill her…

Yami laughed softly, so softly she was the only one that heard. Then he said smoothly, "I see you've separated yourself from the rest. Very well. You shall be the first to die."


	14. Chapter 14

Four reviews! Woot! Yayness! Thanks so much to my reviewers for the support! Anyways, I had three reviews at one point but wasn't finished the chapter...I promise that the next chapter will be ready right away (just give me time to actually go on the computer to check my reviews). So, three reviews until the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, but I own The Feline Curse and its quiz format.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN – PLANS

Yami's grip tightened around Catalyn's fist, and she couldn't escape it. She flinched horribly, knowing what was coming. She was dead and she knew it. The pain was hurting her so much it threatened to black her out. She couldn't believe she went through all that, just to end up like this. _But I'm not ready to die yet! I have so much left to do! I'm only fifteen! I have my whole life ahead of me! I can't rest in peace as a demon! I need to find Kitkit and make her take away this curse!_

"I can't die yet," she murmured sadly to herself.

Yami heard her. "Why can't you?" he asked.

"Because there's something I still have to do," she answered, figuring she had nothing to lose by telling him. "I have to track down the demon that demonified me so that she can undo this curse. Then I'll have fulfilled my purpose, and I'll be ready to die. Please, spare me until I find her."

Yusuke and Kuwabara were staring at her, in awe that she was actually begging for her life. Kurama's eyes were filled with sympathy as always, but also with helplessness. He knew as well as she did that there was no chance for Yami to spare her.

"Please, spare me," she continued, trying to drag it out as long as she possibly could. "I swear, after I find her, you can do whatever you want to me. Kill me in whichever way you like. Please."

Unnoticed by anyone, a shadowed figure lurked in a corner, watching as Yami pondered over Catalyn's words. Why was he taking so long? He knew Yami well enough to know that he would never agree to such a pathetic cause. He thought to himself, _It's about time I step in._

Yami said, "I've decided." She'd never felt her heart pound the way it did then. Her life was in his hands. This was it. "Prepare to die."

She gasped. So did the boys. She heard Kurama mutter her name. She closed her eyes and prepared for the end. The pain began.

When she finally opened her eyes, the pain was gone. It had been surprisingly quick. She hadn't realized death could come so easily. But it was much better that way. She looked at her hand. It was still as it had been before Yami killed her. She looked around, confused. She was still in the illusion room. She whirled around. Yami was lying on the floor, his eyes open in shock, a sword protruding from his back. Slowly, she looked up…into Hiei's face.

Catalyn stepped back in shock. "H-H-Hiei? But…how…?"

Hiei pulled his katana out of Yami's body and sheathed it. He gave her a look. "So now I'm not even allowed a share of the killing, is that it?" he asked.

She tried to reply, but no words came out. Then the pain rushed back and she fell to her knees. Kurama ran over to her. She wanted to assure him that she was fine, but that would just be stupid. She let him lift her arm over his shoulder and rose with him as her support.

"Nice to have you back, Hiei," Yusuke said. "Glad to see you're okay. And –" he suddenly looked serious, "– sorry."

Hiei scowled at him. "Hn," he said. "It wasn't you who caused the wound. You're not powerful enough to do that."

Yusuke frowned, then smiled, and frowned again. Catalyn managed a weak giggle.

"Let's keep going, shall we?" Kuwabara said.

Catalyn bent over and picked up Yami's bokuto. It had no owner anymore. She tucked it through the sash around her waist and, leaning on Kurama, turned to leave.

"Now, my guests, where do you think you're going?" asked an all too familiar voice. They all turned around to see Yami standing alive and well next to his dead body. "Illusions are wonderfully helpful," he told them. "Now here's the real me. You have one more obstacle to go through before moving on –" he appeared behind them "– as I am blocking the doorway."

Catalyn broke free and aimed a punch for Yami with her left fist at the same time that Yusuke and Kuwabara did. Yami dodged them all and jumped in the air. Kurama caught his ankle with the rose whip. Just as Yami broke free, his eyes widened in shock and his pupils became mere specks. Then his body came apart, clearly cut to pieces. Hiei flipped through the air, landed smoothly, and sheathed his katana. "So much for him."

Catalyn had to grin. It was amazing that Hiei kept up his high-and-mighty attitude even after just waking up from a terrible injury. _It's also the second time he's saved my life now, _she thought, but shook it off. The forest illusion had vanished when Yami was killed, revealing a small, plain room with a door across from them. Leaning on Kurama, she passed through the door with the boys.

Once through the doorway, they found themselves in another room with a spiral staircase at the other end. Catalyn sniffed the air for anything unusual. There was nothing suspicious, but she did smell fresh air, and lots of it. As soon as they climbed up the stairs and opened the door, they found themselves on the balcony-roof of the mansion. It took up the whole roof, except for a section in the middle, where there was one last tower.

"Interesting battlefield," Catalyn commented. She let go of Kurama and walked over to the edge. There, she saw many demon residents following Botan, Jet, and Mari through the entrance doors. "Reinforcements are coming!" she exclaimed happily.

Kuwabara, Yusuke, and Kurama went over to look. "Soon, we'll have our own army!" commented Yusuke.

A voice from out of nowhere said, "Then I'll have to finish you before it comes."

– Flashback in time –

Yami and a shadowed, mysterious figure kneeled in front of a large throne. Someone was sitting in the throne, but that person was completely disguised in shadows.

"What next, sir?" Yami asked. "Will we let the two captives die, just like that?"

"What do you suggest?" the seated one said in a male's voice.

Yami stated, "We could use them as bait. Attract the others to rescue them, but it will all be in vain. Lay traps for them along the way. We'll get more of them at the same time, and it will make our job easier."

The man in the chair considered the proposal. Then he said, "I think it's a fine idea. Yami, prepare the next challenge. Herd out the weakest of the group with number seven, and have the stronger ones die in the rescue attempt."

Yami nodded. "Yes, sir," he said. He stood up and left the room.

The demon next to him stood after he'd left. "I suppose I'll be leaving as well, milord." The voice was definitely female, and the hint of a curved body could be made out despite the shadows.

The man in the throne nodded. "We're both leaving. Cala and Zankoku will be taking it from here. They are, after all, the last two members of the Ten. I've already spoken with them. Let's be on our way."

They stood next to each other, and then vanished in a whiff of smoke.

– Back to where we left off –

Catalyn and the boys whirled around to see who had spoken. Standing next to the tower was their next demon opponent. It was wearing shiny silver armor covering every inch of its body. The face was obscured by a helmet, but a small hole at the top let a sheet of waist-length silvery blue hair fall down.

"Hello," the demon said in a husky but female voice. "I'm Cala, ninth of the Ten. I have to admit I'm quite surprised to see you've made it this far. But I'll warn you now: I am the ninth of the Ten because only the tenth himself, our leader Zankoku, can actually put up a fight against me. Plus, he's defeated me every single time. I also have many special abilities, and trust me, there's no way you'll even put a dent in my armor."

"Aw, shaddup and prove those aren't just words already," Yusuke said, stepping forward.

Catalyn sighed and scrutinized Cala's armor. The metal seemed extremely hard and durable, and the demon's aura was providing it with extra protection. It would be terribly difficult to break through, she realized.

Cala charged for Yusuke, and Yusuke prepared to meet her with a mighty, aura-charged punch. Catalyn watched as Cala's fist clenched. Then her aura swirled around it and began to take on a strange shape…an axe! It fully materialized as she brought it down upon Yusuke's fist. But Catalyn and Hiei had both leaped into action to prevent this, and with flaming fists they each punched a different side of the axe. They both jumped back, and the axe merely grazed Yusuke's knuckles.

Catalyn stared at Hiei in surprise. She knew he was part fire demon, and it seemed appropriate for him to possess the same technique as her, but she couldn't believe that Hiei had acted the exact same way as her. Not only that, but he had actually worked to help out a teammate. He noticed her gaze and glared at her. She looked away quickly.

"As you can see," Cala said, somersaulting backwards, "I can use my powers to create any weapon I like, and they're just as hard as my armor."

As Catalyn glared at Cala, she started as her fist throbbed in pain. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly, and she grabbed her hand to attempt to dull the pain.

Kurama noticed, just as she was hoping he wouldn't. "Catalyn, you shouldn't use that fist," he said. "You'll hurt yourself to much, maybe even cause your hand permanent injuries. You can't rely on flaming punches all the time." Then he smiled. "Try using a weapon instead."

She gasped in understanding, and took out her new bokuto. Sure, she'd never used any type of sword before, but she could still try. Besides, she'd seen Hiei use his katana and she'd studied his moves. She figured it wouldn't be too hard to try. And she would still be able to use her flames. She held it in both hands, pointing the wooden tip at Cala.

"I've found your weak spot," she announced loudly.

Kurama grinned, Hiei hn-ned, and the other two boys just stared.

"You have no hand armor, do you?" she asked Cala. "Those gloves are the same color as your armor, but they're just leather, aren't they?"

"You have a knack for calculating an opponent's strengths and weaknesses," Cala acknowledged in a strange voice. "But you'll no longer be an asset to your team once I'm through with you!"

While Yusuke was getting over the surprise of the attack to his hand, Kuwabara with his aura sword, Kurama with his rose whip, Hiei with his katana, and Catalyn with her bokuto all charged for Cala. Cala raised a gloved hand, and large chunks of the balcony ripped themselves out of the ground and flew towards them. Catalyn created flames on her weapon and slashed at the pieces of stone, cutting them in half. The cuts weren't as clean as she would have liked, but it was a pretty good start. Kurama cleanly broke up the stone like a hot knife cutting through butter. Kuwabara slashed pretty wildly, but he accomplished the task as well without difficulty.

Catalyn looked around amidst the flying pieces of stone. "Where'd Hiei g–"

"LOOK OUT!" yelled Yusuke.

She looked up to see a giant slab of stone falling right for her, leaving her no time to prepare herself. Suddenly Kurama dove into her, sending the two of them sprawling, and Yusuke blasted the stone into tiny fragments with an aura-charged punch.

"Thanks," Catalyn called to Yusuke. She reached over to pick up her dropped bokuto, but Kurama already had. He handed it to her. "Thanks to you too, Kurama," she added.

"Be on guard," he warned with a smile before he jumped away to break up more stones.

As the guys occupied themselves with smashing the stones (there sure were a lot of them!), she hid herself behind the center tower, observing the situation. _So Cala can control rocks as well, _she thought. _And if my assumption is correct, she can probably do the same with anything hard or sharp, like weapons._ Then she directed her attention to Cala. She was a spectator, lazily watching as the boys fought off her assault, with no worries of being attacked.

But then a blur sped at her from out of nowhere: Hiei. His katana swished, there was a clang, and the katana stopped. It didn't take Catalyn long to figure out why. Cala had grabbed the weapon with her bare hands…but no! Her hands transformed into twin swords, crossing against the katana in the shape of an X. She pushed Hiei's katana back, but he pressed hard, glaring.

Catalyn looked around. Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara were all slicing and dicing the rocks. Cala was now laughing. "I can turn any part of my body into a weapon!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "For instance, my hair can become a whip!" Her hair twisted together and glowed until it became a long black whip. It slashed at Hiei faster than he could dodge, meaning it was pretty darn fast.

Since Cala was occupied with Hiei, she was leaving herself wide open for an attack from behind. It was the perfect opportunity for Catalyn…or was it? Was Cala doing this on purpose, or had she really left an opening?

Catalyn didn't want to wait any longer. She shook herself, and then, bokuto flaming, charged for Cala from behind. With tremendous speed and power, she thrust the bokuto straight into Cala's wrist, the one unarmed part of her body (since her hands were swords). But it didn't cut through. Her eyes widened in shock. "What the – " Then the hair-whip caught her in the stomach, sending her flying. She flipped and landed on her feet with her tail as a balance.

The boys finished breaking up the stones, and Catalyn could see why. Cala had used up so much of the ground beneath them that any more could cause it to cave into the eighth floor and in turn cause the tower to collapse, not to mention most of the castle. Hiei had jumped back, and Catalyn did so as well to join the boys.

"Go on," Cala said. "It doesn't matter. You won't come up with a strategy to defeat me."

In a low voice, Catalyn muttered to the boys, "There are areas at the joints where there are cracks in the armor to improve her mobility. If we could reach them, it would be perfect. But her weapons are too powerful."

"We need something that can stop her from moving," Kurama remarked.

"If we had something like that, we would've done it already," Kuwabara put in.

Yusuke was thinking hard. Then his and Kurama's eyes lit up at the same time.

Yusuke put a hand on Hiei's shoulder. Hiei slapped it off. "Hiei, pal, it's all up to you," he told him with a grin.

"Hn."

Catalyn looked at Kurama questioningly. He merely said, "You'll see."

Kuwabara gasped, then said, "You don't mean Hiei has to transform?"

Yusuke nodded. "So, Hiei, you up for it?"

"Hn." Hiei pulled off his black cape/dress/thingy (A/N sorry don't know what to call it) and tore off his headband. His Jagan Eye opened up on his forehead, and Catalyn watched in awe. She had heard of his "evil eye" but she'd never actually seen it before. Hiei's muscles tensed, and his body turned green. Then numerous eyes sprouted all over his body.

"Those eyes amplify his power," Kurama explained. "With it, he can attempt to freeze Cala – for a little while, at least. I don't know how long he'll be able to do it since Cala is quite strong."

Sure enough, Cala froze in her tracks, as if she'd been cocooned somehow. She swore angrily multiple times and struggled to break free, but for the moment, she was trapped.

Yusuke readied his fist for a shotgun, and the others held out their weapons. Then, without the need for anyone to yell "charge", they all rushed for Cala at the same time. Their attacks all hit the same spot at the same time: the armor covering Cala's heart. Cala gave a gurgling sort of gasp. She broke free of the cocoon, everyone jumped back, and Hiei un-transformed, slightly out of breath. Catalyn realized how hard it must have been to hold Cala still like that. Cala fell to her knees, clutching the huge dent pressing against her heart. Then she started laughing, and wouldn't stop. She was still laughing as she stood once more.

"Mind telling us what's so funny?" Yusuke asked, annoyed.

Eventually, Cala managed to stop laughing. Then she took off her helmet, revealing pale lavender skin, ruby-red eyes, and purple lips. All in all, her face was actually beautiful. She went on to take off the rest of her armor, still chuckling lightly. She was dressed in dark purple leather, so dark it was almost black. Then Catalyn noticed that a tear was sliding down her perfect face.

_What the heck is going on?_ Catalyn asked herself. _Is she really crying?_

Cala smiled almost kindly. "After Zankoku, of course, you five are the first people to see me without my armor, and I'll have you know I only remove it for those that actually prove to be a challenge. You've dented my armor, so you've earned the privilege to fight me like this. Thank you…I haven't had a challenge like this in far too long…" Another tear slid down her cheek. "It makes me so happy…"

Catalyn stared Cala down. "You know, you actually seem like a decent person," she said. "If the circumstances were different, I might have liked to be friends with you. But that's out of the question. Let's finish our fight."

Cala wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and her grin grew evil. "I'll have you know…Zankoku could also damage my armor. But you're still no challenge for me. Zankoku couldn't just dent my armor…he could shatter it."


	15. Chapter 15

Gomen nasai everybody! I had absolutely no time this weekend, and all week I've been at a goalie camp for hockey, coming back home sore all over... I haven't gone on the computer at all until now, so I apologize deeply to those who had to wait since I didn't update right away like I said I would. But as usual, three reviews and I'll update!

Anyways, I actually am going to start thanking my reviewers in person again (I used to but I stopped cuz I got lazy). So here are my thank yous:

Angelkitsune-Naomi: As always, I thoroughly appreciate your reviews and support! Also I'm taking this moment to apologize for not finishing up on checking your story, and I hope you understand that I haven't had the time. I have camp again tomorrow but after that I'm home free!  
Vitanie Tora: Yeah, I hadn't really planned to incorporate Genkai and Keiko into this fic since it focuses on Catalyn and the spirit detectives the most, but I am planning on hopefully adding them to a later scene for a quick appearance. I know it may seem pointless, but I have my reasons (which I'm not telling anyone yet), and I hope that will be enough for now.  
TwitchyEars007: Thanks very much for the review, it is much appreciated! I'm glad youare enjoying my enemies and battle scenes! I'll try to keep it up!  
Ayane Sakurai: Heh, I actually understood what you wrote! I don't know much Japanese yet, but I'm learning. I'm glad you like my fic. Arigatou for the review!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH, but I do own The Feline Curse.

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CHAPTER FIFTEEN – UNAVOIDED CONFLICT

"H-hey!" Kuwabara exclaimed suddenly. "I can't fight her!"

"Why the hell not?" demanded Yusuke.

"She's too pretty!" Kuwabara moaned. "I'd be going against my code!"

Catalyn groaned, but just as she did, an idea came to mind. Still, it made her sick just to think of it…but she knew that all five of them would be needed to beat Cala, so it had to be done. Feeling like a total idiot, she gave Kuwabara the kindest smile she could muster. "Kuwabara, would you please fight her…for me?" She put on the sweetest pleading look possible, but she wouldn't have been surprised if she was blushing.

Kuwabara suddenly looked like he was in ecstasy. "Anything for you!" he roared. He held up his aura sword. "I'll show you the might of the great Kazuma Kuwabara, warrior of love!"

Catalyn turned away so he wouldn't see her gagging. Kurama noticed and giggled slightly. She looked at him and shrugged, then shuddered in disgust. He shook his head, smiling.

So, Kuwabara charged for Cala, and her demonic aura flared around her. It was way more powerful than before. Catalyn quickly tried to analyze it. "Her power's doubled," she said. "No, take that back! It's tripling! And still growing!"

"Kuwabara, get back!" Kurama yelled.

Catalyn watched Cala's aura. It seemed to be taking shape. And Kuwabara didn't heed Kurama's command. Instead, he tried to pierce Cala's heart. The sword never hit her. Catalyn stared in shock. Cala's aura had surrounded her in a very thick, pulsing layer of energy, forming a complete and indestructible shield. Then her arms turned into swords. She slashed for Kuwabara, who brought up his own sword just in time. He was sent flying backwards.

"Cala's armor must have kept her aura at bay," Kurama said. "It's the same tactic Karasu used when I fought him in the Dark Tournament." Catalyn knew of this battle. Kurama had told her about the tournament while she was recovering from her wounds from the vampire demon.

"If that's the case," she said, "then it will be very hard to destroy her."

"Hn," said Hiei.

Still, Catalyn felt confident. It was almost time…

The air rang with Cala's laughter. "I can manipulate even my aura as a weapon!" she yelled. "There's no way you can hurt me now! It is even harder to destroy than my armor, and you only put a dent in that!"

"Shut up," Yusuke cut in. "We'll beat you. You'll see."

Catalyn added in, "You don't realize how badly treated the demons who live here are, and for that we will make sure you're punished."

Then she heard it. It was time. Three…two…one…

BOOM!

Botan, Jet, and Mari burst through the door from the stairs, immediately followed by an army of demons. "Charge!" Jet and Mari screamed. With that, the army pounced on a shocked Cala. She was completely engulfed and no longer able to be seen. Catalyn noted that her raging aura had vanished. _But how come? _she wondered. _She's powerful enough to completely obliterate all those demons. At this rate, she'll be…_ She let her thoughts trail off as it sank in.

It was over quickly. Jet called back the demons, and they retreated to reveal Cala lying on the ground, battered and beaten. She struggled to sit up. She was smiling, and it was a true kind smile. And the innocence was evident in her tear-stained eyes.

"Well," she said weakly, struggling to speak. "You passed…there is no need to test you anymore…"

"Huh?" everyone said.

Cala explained. "Not long ago, we were hired…hired to test your powers…of course, we thought we were hired to kill you…but Yami figured it out…he told me, before he went to die at your hands…we were being used to test your strengths…but you've been tested long enough…and there is no need for you to fight Zankoku…please tell him what I've told you…you mustn't fight him…"

"Why not?" Catalyn, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all asked.

Cala continued, but she was faltering more and more, her voice growing weaker, "Because he is too powerful…I've analyzed your powers…he will destroy you for sure…tell him the truth…it's the only way…Zankoku is too simple-minded…if he doesn't believe you…you will die at his hands…" Cala let herself fall back down. She was ready to die. "Please tell him for me…tell him that all our times together…helping the demons…made me truly happy…I cherish our moments together…"

"But you treated the demons here like slaves," Catalyn remarked, frowning.

Cala shook her head and whispered, "No…it was part of the test…I love the demons here…I could never truly hurt them…please…tell Zankoku…"

Catalyn had heard enough. Cala was hurting herself just to make them hear her out. She deserved to rest. "We'll tell Zankoku," she promised.

Tears welled up in Cala's eyes and spilled. "Thank you…"

"Rest well," Catalyn said softly. And so Cala died.

Jet and Mari then completely ruined the moment when they gave Catalyn a huge bear hug. "Big sister!" they yelled. She hugged them back. "Good job, you two," she said. "I'm proud of you." Then she looked at the boys. "You heard her. We have to talk to Zankoku. Besides, he might have information on who's been hired to test us." She scowled.

"He probably won't listen," Yusuke objected. "Villains like killing. Besides, I'm itching to kick his butt."

She sighed. "We'll fight only if we have no other choice," Kurama said.

Everyone agreed. Catalyn was relieved in knowing there was only one more mountain to climb, and hopefully if all went well, they'd come out of it unharmed. Still, something told her it would go horribly wrong, and she never doubted her instincts.

"First," Botan jumped in, "let me check your newest wounds." So she performed a quick medical round, but there wasn't much she could do for Catalyn's hand other than to bandage it. Hiei flat-out refused for help.

Five minutes later, they were ready to go. Everyone entered the center tower, where they were met by a steep spiral staircase with no handles that was right against the wall. They walked up, the army of demons following close behind. Soon, they reached the top, where it was wider, and only a door stood in their way.

"Keep the demons here, and keep them quiet," Catalyn ordered Botan. "If he sees too many of us, he'll be bound to attack." Botan nodded, so Catalyn turned to the guys. "I'm going to go in by myself to talk to Zankoku." Yusuke and Kuwabara protested. "You guys will resort to fists too soon," she said. Kurama volunteered to go with her after that, and she didn't need to think twice to accept his offer. "We'll give you a signal if worse comes to worse." And so she and Kurama pushed open the door and entered Zankoku's lair.

The room was large and spacious, resembling a room in a king's palace. The marble walls bore sculpted shapes of many sorts, and everything was lined with gold. At the end of the room, up a small flight of stairs, sat a tall throne of red velvet, lined again with gold. Zankoku was there, sitting leisurely with his legs crossed. He wore the outfit of a king (cape and all except the crown), and he had dark skin and flowing silver hair. His eyes were a deep royal blue.

Zankoku looked up at them as they walked in, and stood with his fists out, a wicked smile on his face.

"We're not here to fight," Catalyn said instantly, keeping her voice calm. "We just want to talk."

Zankoku lowered his fists but did not sit back down. "About what?" he asked. He had a powerful and commanding voice.

"Cala gave us a message to pass on to you," she replied steadily.

"Oh, really?" he said, and Catalyn could tell it was in a mocking tone.

She began explaining. "She told us that Yami had figured something out about the man who hired you to kill us. He was hoping you would fail and die. He didn't want us killed, whoever he was. He simply wanted to test us. And Cala also told us that she doesn't want us to fight you. There's no point in hurting anyone any longer. The test is over. She's declared us competent." Zankoku gave a disbelieving look. Catalyn added, "She also said for us to tell you...that she cherished and enjoyed all the times you've had together with the demons of the village."

At that, Zankoku looked thoughtful. His eyes seemed to be very dreamy. Then they became cold as ice. He frowned at her and Kurama. "This would be easier to believe if Cala were here in person. Where is she?"

She exchanged glances with Kurama. He answered for her. "She's on the roof."

Zankoku snapped, "Have her brought to me." Kurama nodded. Then he went to the door and left without a word. Zankoku sat back down. "Tell me, demon –"

"Catalyn," she interrupted without thinking.

"Catalyn, then," he said, not really caring. "Why doesn't Cala want me to – what did you say it was? – test you?"

She answered readily, "She said we no longer needed to be tested. She also said someone else will die. She obviously doesn't want that." She hope Zankoku wouldn't realize that she was neglecting to say who would die, but he was smarter than she thought he'd be. From what Cala said, he seemed to tend to rush into things. But he was asking questions in ways that made her feel slightly worried.

"Did she specify who would die?"

She didn't answer right away. She didn't want to. She hoped Kurama would be back soon. She didn't know how much more she could say to him. After all, he was going to find out that they killed Cala...at least, the village demons did.

"Well?" he demanded. "Who?"

Catalyn swallowed and looked Zankoku right in the eye. "Us."

Zankoku gave a wicked smile. "So you all know that I will overpower you, then?" he said. "Perhaps you are lying to me, and you are only saying this because you don't want to die."

"I would never lie," she assured him. Anyone else would have believed her – but Zankoku was different. He didn't seem to believe that statement. But, then again, as she thought to herself, she'd been lying about her deepest secret for a long time now. So then again, what she'd just said was not entirely true. And somehow, Zankoku seemed to suspect that.

Then the door opened, and Kurama came back in, this time, carrying Cala's dead body. Zankoku's eyes were wide in surprise. "She is dead," he muttered. He glares at Catalyn. "You lied to me."

"No!" she protested. "Cala spoke the truth! The demon villagers rebelled against her…we didn't hurt her." This was completely true. They'd hardly put a scratch on Cala. But Zankoku was angry now.

"Afraid to die, are you?" he asked menacingly, his cape billowing behind him even though there was no wind.

"Please listen, Zankoku," Kurama said, trying to reason with him. "If we had known our lives weren't in danger we wouldn't have fought with the intention to kill. And now that we know the truth, we promise not to fight you, if you will only listen to us."

"I will not believe your stupid lies!" Zankoku yelled. "You've murdered all of my nine companions. No matter what the circumstance, you cannot be forgiven! I, Zankoku, leader of the Ten, will see to it that you all die slow, painful deaths!"

With that, the door burst open again, and Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara charged through. "Then we'll have to kill you first," Yusuke growled.

"Just try," Zankoku growled back. "Your friend said so herself that you'd be no match for me. It's time to see if it's true."

Yusuke and Kuwabara stared at her. She didn't meet their eyes. Kurama's eyes contained understanding. She had to do it. It would have helped him believe her. But it wasn't her fault that he didn't believe her. He was, like Cala had said, too simple-minded, too quick to judge things. Too bad that she had sincerely hoped otherwise.

Then Catalyn felt Hiei's eyes on her. She looked at him. His expression plainly said, "What the heck did you tell him that for?" They both glared at each other. _I shouldn't have saved the shrimp's life in the first place,_ she thought angrily. But, it was, as they all knew, too late to go back now. It was time to fight the all-powerful leader of the Ten – and if Cala was telling the truth (which she probably was), Catalyn knew exactly what the outcome would be.

Catalyn, Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke, and Kuwabara stood slightly apart from each other, in a semi-oval-type formation, ready to face off against Zankoku. They knew it would be best to keep the demon army out of the fight. They probably wouldn't have been able to hurt him anyway, and he would have easily destroyed them. Besides, Catalyn didn't want to endanger Botan, Jet and Mari.

Zankoku threw his cape away. It floated through the air and landed on his throne, covering it. "I would hate for my favourite seat to get ruined in our battle," he said in a twisted voice, complete with an ugly look on his face and an evil smile. Then he continued, "You haven't heard of my powers yet, nor have you witnessed them first-hand. But that's okay. All you know is that I can easily kill you. Fearing the powerful but unknown is the best way for my victims to die!"

Catalyn didn't like the way he was grinning. _This will sure be tough,_ she thought. _I have no clue what kind of powers he has, and from the sounds of it, it's probably the worst kind yet. Have we really just sounded our death wishes?_ Then she shook herself over. _What's coming over me? I never back down from a challenge. I've changed in ways I don't like. I will NOT back down. I will never admit defeat again. _She thought back to when she had begged for her life at Yami's hands. _That was the worst thing I've ever done. I am not weak. I am strong enough for this. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get rid of the Beast…_


	16. Chapter 16

First up: I am so so so so so extremely sorry, gomen nasai times a squillion. I never expected this to happen. I was dead tired after goalie camp and I was a mass of mini injuries, then suddenly my dad decided I was going to go work for him during the day (eugh!) and suddenly my evenings were either full or I was too tired to do anything, and then now I just got back from vacation for a week! I know being tired is one of the more stupid excuses one can give, so I really hope you'll forgive me for all that's happened. Thanks so much for your concern, Angelkitsune-Naomi, and thankfully I'm not ill and I am terribly sorry I haven't finished looking at your story like I said I would. To everyone who reads my fic, I don't know what I can do to make up for this, but I hope you'll all forgive me. As a small compensation, I won't ask for three reviews before my next update, but for this chapter only. I will update the moment I finish writing the next chapter. I won't name all my reviewers like I said I would, only because I know everyone's tired of waiting, but believe me when I thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting up with this wait. So, here it goes.

Disclaimer: (Why do I have to keep doing this?) I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse.

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN – ZANKOKU'S POWER 

Catalyn, Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara faced Zankoku. "I won't let you have the first move," Zankoku snarled. "You're too foul to deserve it."

He prepared to step forward, but Yusuke beat him to it, yelling, "I'll take it anyways!" He charged for their opponent, his fist charged with energy.

Quickly, since she knew there wasn't much time, Catalyn tried to analyze Zankoku's aura. It was very complex, and she couldn't figure out much, save for one thing. "Get back, idiot!" she cried.

Yusuke skittered to a stop and looked back, but his teammates all gasped, and Zankoku took that moment to hit Yusuke while he was wide open. Yusuke turned just in time to see the fist soaring for his cheek, and suddenly he was flying across the room. Catalyn cringed as he collided with Kuwabara and the two boys fell to the ground.

Zankoku admired his fist. "That felt very good," he snickered to himself, but everyone heard him. "I haven't used my fists in so long. This will be fun." He looked at the gang, and he spoke louder: "Now you've seen the strength of my weakest punch. I won't even need to use my powers against you!"

Catalyn shot a glance at Yusuke. He was back on his feet, and his cheek had swelled greatly already. Other than that, he was okay, but she knew that he had tried unsuccessfully to dodge at the last second. If he had taken the hit cleanly, she knew his jaw would have been shattered. To make matters worse, she was positive Zankoku wasn't bluffing when he said that that was his weakest punch. If she had understood his strange aura right, then his strongest punch could probably shatter every bone in her body!

"Zankoku's aura is quite unusual," Kurama remarked quietly. "I doubt any of us would be able to come out of a lone attack uninjured."

"Hn," Hiei sniffed.

Catalyn frowned at him, and added in, "We probably won't even come out of a joint attack unscathed. I've been trying to figure him out, but I haven't been getting very far. Still, I know that he could probably break your spine with the right punch. We need to be extremely careful."

Yusuke rubbed his cheek. "I felt that punch," he said. "It wasn't _that_ strong. I mean, I can punch harder."

Catalyn turned on him and glared. "Yeah, when you punch with all your strength. Zankoku can probably punch harder than you could ever dream of."

Yusuke responded angrily, "All you're saying is 'probably this' and 'probably that'. You don't know anything for sure!"

That touched a nerve. She flinched, but she had no time to reply. Zankoku called from across the room, "I'm getting bored here waiting! I guess I'll come for you instead!" He charged, his fist ready.

The gang assumed their fighting stances. "Don't counter," Kurama advised. "Just dodge."

From that distance, it was impossible to tell who he'd be aiming for. Catalyn instinctively moved into a defensive stance, all the while trying to analyze his aura. He was fast approaching, but she still wasn't getting all of it. She was running out of time…but she almost had it…

"Catalyn, jump!" someone yelled.

She urgently slammed her tail into the ground and propelled herself high into the air. Zankoku's fist collided with the floor, creating a large crater. She flipped through the air and landed behind Zankoku. The boys had jumped to safety as well.

"What do you think you were doing, baka onna?" Hiei asked her, his eyes narrowed. "Going off to get yourself killed?"

"I'm trying to get us the info that'll prevent us from being killed!" she snapped.

"You have a bad habit of playing around before you counter-attack your opponents," he said in an almost superior tone. Catalyn didn't like his tone one bit. Besides, she'd heard all about the Dark Tournament, and knew for a fact that Kurama had used the same type of strategy then as she did. So why did Hiei only pick on her?

Zankoku released his fist from the floor. "I'm sorry I missed," he said.

And Hiei was gone.

"No, Hiei!" Kurama called.

Catalyn could still sense his aura in this room, but she knew what Hiei was trying to do. He was circling Zankoku as fast as he could, trying to confuse him. But Zankoku laughed. "I can still land a punch on this runt," he said, and with one punch, Hiei flew through the air and landed not too far from the rest of the group.

However, as Zankoku moved to punch, Catalyn and the others charged in. As Zankoku went into the follow-through, Kurama's rose whip latched onto one fist, the thorns digging into his knuckles. With her tail, Catalyn restrained the other arm, and with her flaming bokuto, she slashed the fist Kurama held. Yusuke fired an aura blast at the fist Catalyn held, and Kuwabara attacked that one as well with an almighty slash of his aura sword. Then, before Zankoku could counter, they all leaped away. The result: both of Zankoku's knuckles were broken, therefore rendering his fists useless.

Hiei was on his feet again, and his cheek was bruised like Yusuke's. He seemed extremely upset. Catalyn flashed back to a story Kurama once told her of Hiei's battle against Yusuke, when he was still a thief. Hiei had circled Yusuke, but all it had taken was one punch to knock him down. She held back a snicker.

Zankoku examined his fists. "An interesting strategy," he commented. "I didn't expect the runt to lead a joint attack." Hiei glared and swore at him. "But I guess you just want me to defeat you the hard way! So be it, then! I'll gladly show off my powers! Trust me, it will just make your demise all the more painful!"

A wind stirred around him and filled the room. _It's coming,_ Catalyn thought as she cringed. _It's coming…_

Zankoku's evil grin grew wider. "You'll pay for all the crimes you've committed in my castle! Now you will all die slow, painful deaths!"

**-Some obscure place, inside the bedroom of a log cabin-**

A male and a female sat on a bed. The log walls let little light through, but it was still quite cozy.

The male said, "It's starting. Such a shame, though. Zankoku really will kill them, unless they figure out where his life source is and destroy it."

"I could accomplish that easily," the female offered. "No one would know, and as for Zankoku, well, it'll be too late for him."

The man shook his head. "You aren't strong enough to stop him if you're caught. Perhaps you can be of other use."

"Please reconsider," the female said, with no note of pleading whatsoever in her voice.

There was a moment of silence. Then the man said, "I'll think about it. But let's talk of your other mission…I see you carry no injuries…I assume you gave up?"

"I would never do such a thing!" the woman exploded. "How can you even think –?" She stopped suddenly, for the man was laughing. "What's so funny?" she demanded.

"It's a rare sight, but your attitude is marvelous when it comes out," he chuckled.

She sighed and got to the point. "The mission went well. The negotiations were a bit shaky, but our part will be accomplished shortly."

"So you did find her, then."

"Easily." There was no pride in her voice. "But I have to meet with her again the day after tomorrow, and two days after that. Then I'll have her definite answer."

"Good," the man said.

"So will you reconsider?" Again, she was using her modest voice.

He answered, "Maybe. We'll observe for a while longer…"

**-Back to the fight with Zankoku-**

Strong winds were picking up all around the room. Zankoku's fists hung limply at his sides, but he didn't seem to care. He was grinning in a way that Catalyn didn't like.

_He's planning something big, _she thought. _Something's making the wind stir terribly. Is it the force of his power?_ Realization hit her hard. _Or is it his power itself?_ She strained her ears. They perked up immediately, but she relaxed them a second later. She'd sensed Zankoku's full potential in that instant, and it was enough to make her eardrums bleed. It was a wonder they didn't. _This is bad. Really bad._

The winds picked up extra hard, and Catalyn had to shield her face with her arms. The wind blew against her so hard that it felt like needles piercing into her skin. Even her arms couldn't completely stop the wind from hitting her face, and it stung hard. Normal winds stung, yes, but never this hard. It had to be Zankoku's power.

The winds died down slightly to the point where they no longer hurt, but Zankoku was laughing. "How did that feel?" he sneered. "I hope it didn't hurt too much – not!"

"Sorry," Yusuke called out to him. "Hardly felt a thing!"

"You idiot!" Catalyn yelled at him. "You're asking for it now!"

Yusuke grinned at her. "And you know what he's asking for?" He answered himself. "My fist to his goddamn face!" And he charged. His fist glowed brighter and brighter, until he released it all with a cry of "Shotgun!"

But the wind had picked up around Zankoku. It swirled violently, slicing away at Yusuke's attack until it was gone. Then the swirling force moved on to hit Yusuke. He gave a yell and brought his arms and legs up to protect himself. He was pushed backwards, but then the attack was over.

"I'm not hurt," Yusuke said to the others. "It only stung a little." Then he gave a small gasp of surprised. Tiny cuts had appeared all over his clothes and skin. A cut appeared on the cheek that wasn't bruised. Yusuke wiped some of the blood off and stared in shock. "What?"

"But, Urameshi, he didn't even touch you!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "What's he playing at?"

"It must have to do with the winds he's conjuring," Kurama said.

"Anyone could figure that out," Hiei commented, looking at Zankoku darkly.

Catalyn stared at Zankoku hard, trying to work out the details. She had a hunch, but she knew that the only way to know for sure would be to experience his attacks firsthand. She put away her bokuto and prepared to use her claws. She leaped forwards and her nails started to flame.

Kurama tried to call her back. "You can't charge into it like that!"

"I know," she yelled back, "but I have to find out!"

As the winds approached her, she created a reiki barrier, hoping it would be strong enough to keep her going. She ploughed through the winds, but bit by bit, slices appeared in her only line of defence, ones that could only be made with visible weapons. She gave her broken shield all she had, but the wind annihilated it, exposing her body to their touch. Still, she kept going. She could feel the winds slicing through her skin and tearing her clothes. There was still a distance between her and Zankoku, but if she was able to risk a bit more, she figured she just might be able to get him. After all, he was defenceless without his wind.

Catalyn slashed her arms in a cross-like formation, and needles of flame seemed to burst from her nails. They pushed against the wind, defending her for a moment, but they were soon vanquished. Still, she kept going, sending out more needles.

"Try that all you like, but it will never work!" Zankoku said triumphantly.

Kurama started forward. "Catalyn, don't do this to yourself!"

Still, she kept at it. If she could hold out for just a bit longer, not only would she figure out his secret, but she could succeed in injuring him even more. Her left hand became encased in flame, and her right hand gripped her bokuto. She pushed harder. She was almost there…

"Don't even think about it!" Zankoku yelled, slightly surprised that she had made it that far. He stirred up a wind even stronger than before.

Catalyn screamed as the winds cut through her and brought her arms to her face once more, even though it gave little protection. With her tail, she gave one final push. With her flaming bokuto, she slashed at Zankoku's face; he was shocked, but he leaned back at the last second to avoid the blow. Then his winds took control and sent her flying through the air. She screamed again, and as she fell to the ground, Kurama positioned himself to break her fall and they both went sprawling.

She pulled herself to her knees, as did Kurama. His face was etched with worry. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Fine," she mumbled.

"Look at yourself!" he exclaimed.

She looked down at herself. Her clothes were in terrible condition, and her skin was covered with cuts and scrapes. Pain was shooting through her body, but she tried to ignore it. "I'll be fine," she said. Seriously, she said, "Zankoku has the power to make the winds into an invisible weapon."

Yusuke and Kuwabara's eyes widened, while Hiei hn-ned in a way that meant, "I thought as much." Kurama said, "So then basically, the winds he conjures acts as a weapon, which can pierce our skin and cause physical damage. But at the same time, they act as an impenetrable defence. It wounds us so much that we're forced back, and if we press on, we end up like Catalyn."

"I'm fine," she repeated, somewhat roughly. However, deep down, she knew that it wasn't the boys she was trying to reassure. She was losing blood yet again, and she couldn't even hope to close her wounds. She could try to go to Botan for help, but Zankoku might target her. Still, she couldn't afford to lose too much blood. It wasn't just blood that leaked out when she was injured…

Catalyn looked at Zankoku. There was a tiny rip in his chest clothing, but nothing more. "If one of us can cause a small amount of damage, perhaps a group effort wouldn't be so bad," Kurama said slowly. He looked at her. "Leave it to the four of us. You'll only hurt yourself more, maybe even kill yourself if you charge into that again."

She nodded, wondering what the boys had up their sleeve, and hoping that it would be enough.

Kuwabara created two aura swords. Kurama held his rose whip in one hand, and something was enclosed in his other fist. Hiei ripped off his headband, opening his Jagan Eye, and began to undo the bandages on his right arm. Yusuke stood there, building up his energy into his finger.

Then they began their attack.

Kuwabara goes first, trying to plough through Zankoku's terrible winds.

"It'll never work!" Zankoku yelled.

"Shut up!" Kuwabara proclaimed, "I, the great Kazuma Kuwabara, will defeat you!" He kept charging, and Kurama ran in behind him, his rose whip slashing at the wind. He threw a speck in his fist to the floor.

It was a seed. The seed burst into bloom, and it turned into a massive purple plant with three snapping head and sharp, pointed teeth. It shielded the boys from harm and lunged for Zankoku. Even the winds could not pressure the plant enough, and though Zankoku was light footed, the third mouth managed to rip his shirt off. The teeth cut into his skin and a spurt of blood appeared. Then the winds shredded the plant to bits, but Kurama and Kuwabara had already moved forward. They deepened the cut with their weapons, but then Zankoku's winds sent them backwards and into the wall behind Catalyn.

Hiei came next. Catalyn now saw what was under the bandages on his arm: a long tattoo of a dragon. It came to life, taking the form of a huge, monstrous purple and black dragon. It drove for Zankoku ferociously, too much for the winds to handle. Its jaws snapped hard at Zankoku's chest, deepening the cut even more, but then he summoned even stronger winds, which drove the dragon back until it crashed into a section of the roof, making a large whole and allowing sunlight to stream in. Hiei, like Kuwabara and Kurama, was sent flying by the new force of the wind, and he landed facedown next to Catalyn. Even though it hadn't killed Zankoku, she marvelled at the power of Hiei's Black Dragon technique and understood how Hiei had become so strong.

Still, Zankoku was standing, and the wound to his chest didn't seem to bother him much. He laughed again. "Did you seriously think those attacks could –?"

"SPIRIT GUN!" roared Yusuke. All the power that had built up in his finger was released with a massive burst of light and energy. The blast hit Zankoku dead-on and there was a huge explosion. He crashed into a wall and crumpled to the ground, and dust covered the area. "That did it!" panted Yusuke.

Catalyn's ears twitched, and she feared for the worst. Sure enough, Zankoku staggered to his feet. The deep wound on his chest had diminished to a tiny scrape. "I forgot to mention," he said with an evil leer, "that though I can't mend broken bones, I can heal the damages done to my outer body."

"Damn!" Yusuke swore. "I'm out of spirit gun!"

"Well," Zankoku said, and his grin grew wider, "I still have plenty of energy left!"


	17. Chapter 17

Wow, I finished this chappie and prepared to update, and I already had three reviews anyways! Yay! This chapter's one of my longer ones in you look at the word count, and I hope you all enjoy it. I hope this quick updating makes up for all the time I spent neglecting this fic!

Thank you's:  
Vitanie Tora: Hope this update came soon enough! I love using cliffhangers. ;)  
fangimation: I'm sorry to tell you that I can't just hand out answer like that, heh. You'll just have to keep reading!  
Angelkitsune-Naomi: My favorite reviewer! I'm dedicating this chappie to you, because without your continuous support I don't know what I'd do. Seriously, no one has ever made me feel so good about my writing as you have, and I truly appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse. Remember three reviews until I update!

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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – HIEI VS CATALYN 

Kurama and Kuwabara struggled to their feet, with cuts all over their skin and clothes. Yusuke was still standing, and hadn't been hit by Zankoku's winds. Hiei raised himself to his knees, but he was too shaky to get up any further for the moment. Catalyn, too, was still on her knees. They all glared at Zankoku, who was still grinning. Catalyn had had just about enough of that grin.

"Well," Zankoku said, "I see that you've all just about had enough. Now I get to kill you." Suddenly he gave a small "oh" of surprise, and a large green plant burst free from his closed wound, engulfing his body and trying to suffocate him. It didn't stay that way for long; one blast of wind and the plant was shredded to bits. "Tsk, tsk," Zankoku said, looking at his wound oddly. It closed up again. "I'm afraid you'll have to do much better than that. What a pity."

Kurama glared at him. Catalyn was a bit surprised to see Kurama wear an expression like that on his face. But still, she could understand if he was upset. Though seemingly docile, Kurama's attacks were very dangerous. He had a right to be mad if his attacks were blown aside like they were nothing.

Catalyn looked back at Zankoku. "And now," he said. "Time to end this."

Suddenly, the wind picked up, and each of the spirit detectives became surrounded by a mini whirlwind, spinning faster and faster. At first, Catalyn had a wide area of free space, but the whirlwind constricted itself and came in closer and closer. That's when she realized just how weak she'd become. The scars on her arms – some of them bleeding anew – were itching like mad. _Oh no,_ she thought in a panic. _This isn't good…_ The wind swirled dangerously close to her.

Around her, on either side, she could hear soft grunts of pain coming from the guys, and a sort of growl in Hiei's case. The whirlwind prevented her from seeing them, but she knew that their winds had touched them already. She'd be next. The wind grazed her slightly, stinging, but it didn't leave any cuts – yet. The worst, she knew, was yet to come.

"Now I get to stand her and watch you suffer!" Zankoku yelled. "This is the perfect way for you to pay for what you've done!"

The wind swirled in around Catalyn, closing in even more. The stinging turned into jolts of terrible pain, shredding her clothes. Everything seemed to be covered in red. Her vision swam in and out of focus. She closed her eyes and tried to shield her face. Her mask was shredded and she fell forwards into the wind, but caught herself so that only her arms were cut. She gasped in pain, but it woke her up, at least a little.

_I can't be defeated here,_ she thought desperately. _I must keep fighting…_Relying on every ounce of energy she had left, she filled her mind with these thoughts. _I can't die now. I must win!_ Excruciating pain filled her arms, and she let it run through, not trying to fight it. And as her scars itched even more, she felt the pain turning into raw power. Perfect.

"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED HERE!" she screamed.

With this newfound power, her body became engulfed in a fiery aura and the whirlwind disappeared. Zankoku stared. She was overcome by her burning desire to kill this fiend before her. She drew her bokuto, and it flamed up even more.

"DIE!" she shrieked, and she charged ruthlessly.

The boys couldn't see her, and they were still trapped, but they could still hear her. "Catalyn, whatever you're doing, stop it!" Kurama cried.

But Catalyn wouldn't stop. She'd waited too long for this, and now she finally had her chance to kill him. Zankoku brought up his winds to stop her, and though her bokuto snapped in half, she threw it aside and kept going. Zankoku was in total shock. Her whole body was flaming, and she could feel all that power waiting to be released. Her vision was almost completely gone, but she prepared to deliver the final blow. Almost there…

"RAAAARGH!" she yelled. And then…and then…

Zankoku couldn't move for the shock. He didn't understand what was happening. Her eyes seemed to show madness…but in one single, short moment, that was it. Just as she was about to reach him, his body exploded into flames and became a pile of ashes. At the same time, Catalyn's eyes fully closed and she fell limply to the ground, covered in a pool of blood. The whirlwinds around the boys vanished, and they (except Hiei) instantly rushed forwards.

"Did she do it?" Kuwabara asked incredulously.

Kurama bent down beside her. "She's lost a lot of blood…again. Yusuke, get Botan. It's safe now." Yusuke nodded and ran for the door.

In one quick movement, Hiei had unsheathed his katana and threw it at a shadowed area beside Zankoku's throne. It was knocked back into his hand, and a person emerged from behind the seat.

It was a girl, about Catalyn's age. She was tall, about 5"9', with a pale face and red eyes. Her layered, shoulder-length hair was completely white, and her teeth were like fangs.

"A half-demon," Hiei said with a frown.

Kurama understood immediately. "It wasn't Catalyn, was it? It was you."

The girl nodded and said in a quiet voice, "You should get her back. She'll be needing medical attention."

Botan hurried in, followed by Jet and Mari, who both yelled, "Sister!" and hurried towards Catalyn's unconscious form with wide, worried eyes.

"She'll be okay as long as she is treated properly," the strange half-demon said. "Make sure she stays in bed for a full week this time."

The boys looked at her suspiciously. "'This time'?" Yusuke said.

"How would you know that?" asked Kuwabara. He got no answer.

"Are you the one testing us for no reason?" Hiei demanded. He still hadn't sheathed his katana.

The girl shook her head. "I'd best be off," she mumbled, and turned to leave.

"Wait," Kurama said. "Who are you?"

She didn't turn back. "Kashi," she muttered, and leaped out through the roof and out of sight.

**-Some time later-**

Catalyn woke up slowly in her room. She didn't sit up right away; she was too tired. Through her blurred vision, she could make out Kurama's form sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"Kurama?" she asked hoarsely. She couldn't seem to find her voice.

"It's me," he said softly.

"Is it over?" she asked weakly. He nodded. Things felt so mixed up in her head then. "I'm tired…" She sighed and fell back asleep.

**-Six days after the fight-**

The next time she woke up, there were two total strangers by her bedside. They were both girls. One of them looked to be her age, with short brown hair and a cute face, and the other was small and slim, with long spring green hair and gentle red eyes. Despite having these strangers in her room, everything felt much clearer.

"You're awake," the brunette said. "How do you feel?"

Catalyn squirmed a little under her blankets. "Better," she said. "Who are you?"

"Oh," said the brunette. "I'm Keiko. I'm a friend of Yusuke's. And this is Yukina."

Yukina smiled softly. "I'm an ice maiden, and an acquaintance of the spirit detectives. I wanted to use my healing powers to help you…I hope you didn't mind."

Something clicked in Catalyn's head. Then she realized that this petite girl was Hiei's twin sister. She was so surprised that she didn't know what to say. "Oh, uh…it's okay…thanks."

She didn't have to say anything else, because the door opened and Kurama came in. "Catalyn!" he exclaimed. "We were worried about you. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," she said. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"Six days," Keiko said. "Almost a week."

"Six days?" Catalyn yelped.

"Easy," Kurama cautioned.

She remembered what happened last time, after the vampire demon. She took a breath to calm herself, but she felt very jumpy. "And Zankoku? Did I get him?"

Kurama's smile faded. "You fainted before you got to him, I think. But another half-demon with fire powers showed up and killed him. Her name is Kashi. Does that ring a bell at all?"

She shook her head. "I've never heard the name before. Is she here?"

Kurama shook his head. "She left right away."

Catalyn looked down at herself. She was almost completely covered in bandages. The ones on her arms were still a bit bloodstained. "I sure made a mess of myself again, huh?"

Kurama chuckled. "Don't worry about it now," he said. "Yukina's done an excellent job on you."

Yukina blushed a little. "I just came to check on you," she said. "I've done all I can now. As long as you rest some more, you'll make a full recovery."

So, in order to make sure she really made a full recovery, Catalyn stayed in bed for another week. Kurama was with her for most of the time she was awake, and when he wasn't with her, she received daily visits from Yukina and Keiko. She was very happy to make friends with other girls her age, and enjoyed their company. Catalyn could tell that Yusuke and Keiko liked each other a lot but would never admit it, and she couldn't believe how such a sweet girl like Yukina could be related to Hiei. Also, she got to meet Yusuke's mentor, Genkai, for a very brief period. Genkai looked old and wrinkled, but Catalyn knew she was very powerful and treated her with much respect. Genkai even gave her a little tip on a good training exercise before she left.

Even though her days in bed were surprisingly enjoyable, Catalyn couldn't help but feel slightly put down, considering all the trouble she'd been causing. She also couldn't stand the fact that she'd become less independent as she spent more time with the boys. When she was training with her sensei, she learned to rely on herself alone, and not on others. Now, she was starting to rely more and more on the boys, particularly Kurama. And there was still her issue with Hiei. He had never once thanked her for saving his life, so she didn't thank him for saving her. She didn't want to say it anyways, and she didn't know why. To add to that, Kurama had reminded her that once she was better, she would be continuing her training with the runt, something she was not looking forward to at all.

"Can't I train with you instead?" she begged Kurama.

He laughed. "It's better for you to train with Hiei, trust me," he said. "Besides, he's not all that bad, is he?"

She didn't need to give him a vocal response. The look on her face said enough.

Finally, Catalyn's days in bed ended, and, taking it easy, she started to train her body again, doing a few exercises every day, intensifying the training as she felt better. At long last, she made a full recovery. It was finally time for her training with Hiei to begin in earnest.

A week after she was out of bed, Hiei met her on the training grounds in Spirit World. There was a large practice arena there, and so the two faced each other there, with the rest of the gang watching safely from the sidelines.

Catalyn felt amazing. She was completely recovered from her two blood loss ordeals and felt more powerful than ever, and much stronger than the last time she fought Hiei. "You don't have to go easy on me this time," she told him.

"Hn."

Kurama would be acting as the referee for the battle. Outside the fighting ring, he raised a hand into the air. "Three, two, one, GO!"

The two fighters had taken off even before Kurama's go, but it was so close to the call that no one noticed. They both started off with punches at lightning speed. Neither was relying on their demonic powers just yet. It was simply a fair fight filled with martial arts – the way Catalyn loved it.

Hiei aimed a kick for her face, but she grabbed his foot with both hands and attempted to flip him aside. With his hands, he pushed off from the ground and aimed another kick with his free leg, faster than she could block it. Catalyn made a graceful dodge and somersaulted away, and then back again, flipping through the air as she went into a fury of punches and kicks. Hiei had to rely on his arms and his legs to fight off this assault, and they were both led airborne. They kicked and punched like there was no tomorrow, and finally Catalyn landed a kick to his ribs. She jumped away before he could retaliate, and the two fighters landed again.

Hiei looked at his bare chest as if it was no big deal. He wasn't exactly out of breath yet, like Catalyn had hoped, but neither was she. She felt alive, filled with energy and excitement. It had been so long since the last time she fought with martial arts alone. She'd almost forgotten what it was like, but everything came flooding back. Besides, it was with martial arts that she had developed her special techniques. Even though most people would consider her fire powers her special abilities, she didn't devote herself to enhancing those powers. Her special techniques were solely based on martial arts, and she had spent ages developing them on her own, with a bit of help from her sensei. They were all unique and belonged to her alone. Since she recovered, she also made a promise to herself: to never use her fire powers unless it was absolutely necessary, and work on improving her martial arts skills further. That way, she'd be able to get rid of – how to put it? – all the bad events in her life.

"Catalyn, you've improved!" Yusuke yelled from the sidelines. "I didn't think anyone could match the runt for speed!"

She couldn't hold back her smile. She hadn't been praised in so long either, and it felt really good. Maybe, even though she still considered them idiots (except Kurama), they were good to have around. She was finally experiencing friendship, something she'd always wished for.

She flashed Yusuke a teasing grin. "Wait till you see what else I can do!"

"Hn," said Hiei without any change of expression. "Don't distract yourself."

Catalyn scowled, and they took off again. In the midst of another blur of punches and kicks, she could feel herself gaining the upper hand. Hiei's special abilities lay in his demonic powers, not his martial arts skills. This was where she had the advantage. In all the confusion, she suddenly switched fighting styles, into one she created all on her own, combining offence and defence for an ultimate strategy. All the attack patterns were her own, as well as her combos. She prepared to unleash them on Hiei. She had five special moves in all, and she couldn't wait to use them.

Hiei was concentrating hard to block her blows. It was the perfect time for her to take the upper hand. She launched into the first move, picking up speed, giving Hiei no time to dodge and barely any time to block. She ended it by kicking him squarely in the back, sending him high into the air. She didn't let him react, and leaped up to meet him, launching into her second special move, sending him spiralling for the ground. Once again, she entered right away into her third special move. As she came down to meet him, ready to deliver a powerful kick, Hiei drew his katana.

There was no time to dodge. At the last second, Catalyn focused a barrier of reiki at her foot, collided with the katana, and pushed off again, landing smoothly a safe distance away. _Damn,_ she thought. _I wanted to stick to martial arts alone. Oh, well. I can still counter his techniques._

Hiei sheathed his katana. "So," he said, frowning as usual. "You recoil at the sight of my sword."

Her blood boiled at this, but she took a deep breath to keep the rage at bay. "You want me to follow through this time?" she challenged. Then she charged.

Hiei countered with a fist of mortal flame attack, and from that point forward, all his punches were filled with flames. She merely countered with reiki-filled punches, and the fight was even once again. Catalyn was really waiting for Hiei's black dragon technique. She knew for a fact that Hiei had passed out shortly after she did after the battle with Zankoku, so he could hardly get away with calling her weak. Still, for a technique to drain him of that much energy, it had to be extremely powerful. She was dying to experience it for herself, but Hiei wasn't calling on his special technique.

_Fine by me, _she thought. _I'll put him in a position where he's forced to call upon that technique._

And she began her fourth special move, one that was much more powerful than the first three, which were of pretty equal strength. She added her reiki powers to it to render Hiei's flames useless.

The rest of the gang stared in awe throughout Catalyn's assault. "She's better than you, Urameshi," Kuwabara said.

"Say what?" yelled Yusuke.

Catalyn ignored him. She had Hiei on the ropes now. The two of them charged for each other one final time, and she unleashed her most devastating attack of all: her fifth and final special move. She didn't care what kind of damage Hiei did to her, as long as she knocked him out with her final attack. Hiei put on an extra burst of speed, momentarily catching her off guard. _So fast! I can't keep up…_ But she did manage to keep going. Hiei looked like he was planning something big. She pulled into the final kick…and they both suddenly stopped.

She'd just noticed that Hiei's katana was pointing at her throat, her arms frozen in what had been an attempt to block it. Hiei's hands were on his katana, leaving him open to her kick, which she had halted right before his neck. They stayed unmoving in those positions, panting slightly.

"It's a draw," Kurama announced, almost in surprise, but he was obviously pleased with the outcome.

Hiei sheathed his katana at the same time as she lowered her foot. She was glowering in anger. "Why didn't you use it?" she demanded.

"Use what?" he said coolly.

"Your black dragon!" she hissed.

He looked at her oddly. "Hn. You're not ready for it yet."

"Are you saying I'm weak?" Catalyn practically exploded.

He eyed her with a look of supremacy. "If I had used it, you wouldn't have survived. And you wouldn't have faced it either. You'd have recoiled. You still back off at the sight of my sword."

"Well, you backed away from my kick!" she countered.

He shot her a contemptuous glare. "Only because if I had followed through and slit your throat, Koenma would increase my sentence." He turned and walked away, leaving Catalyn fuming.

* * *

So, that's it for chapter 17! I don't usually leave a footnote, but I'm sure you guys are wondering what's coming next, since the battles with the Ten are all finished. So, I am letting you know now that there is one more big adventure left for Catalyn before this series is over! At this point I really can't say how many chapters there will be left since it's all in quiz format, but my guesstimate is somewhere between 5 and 10 (closer to the latter, probably). So thank you for sticking with me this far! We're almost through! 


	18. Chapter 18

Wowness four reviews so quickly! But I'm sorry to say that this chapter probably will be disappointing after reading Catalyn's match with Hiei, and I really can't help it. Though I don't always enjoy doing it, I think that stories should have parts where things are more calm, because I like building up on the characters as well as the plot. Anyways, I hope you understand and enjoy this chapter.

Thank you's:  
Vitanie Tora: Hiei really is a pyro pixie, haha. But yeah, I know last chapter wasn't a cliffhanger.I won't always put a cliffy, but when I do I love it.  
Angelkitsune-Naomi: I'm so glad you liked that chapter! I was hoping I'd be able to make it so that people could visualize it, and I honestly wasn't expecting it to turn out so good. Thanks for the support!  
daisyashley: Thanks very much for the compliment! I'm glad to hear it!  
blackie-chan: I think it's perfectly normal for Catalyn to recoil when Hiei draws his sword like that. It kind of shows her calculating personality. She knows the odds. If Hiei suddenly draws his sword, she's going to back down to defend herself. But to answer your other question I do have a sequel series all planned out, and I will put it up if I get enough requests for it.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse. Remember, three reviews until I update!

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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – A NEW MEMBER

Catalyn was still fuming after Hiei left the training area, so she was startled to feel Kurama's hand on her shoulder. "You're a very graceful and accomplished fighter," he said with a smile.

"T-Thanks," she stuttered, a little flushed. "It took a long time to develop my moves. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my sen– my serious training, every day." She had just remembered that the gang didn't know about her sensei. They thought she'd been kidnapped by him, not trained by him! Her lie was unfolding!

To her immense relief, Kurama didn't seem to notice anything peculiar with her choice of words. They joined the rest of the gang in the kitchen for lunch. While everyone was eating and chatting together (except for Hiei who remained silent as usual), Botan came in and announced that Koenma had a visitor in his office that he wanted them to meet.

Their curiosity eating at them, they all left for Koenma's office. Catalyn stayed behind, for Kurama had held her back.

"Catalyn," he said slowly, "before we go, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" she asked, nonplussed. It seemed like something big.

Kurama searched for the right words, then began, "Well, there's something strange I noticed while we were fighting Yami, and it happened again with Zankoku. You seemed to…well, go into a sort of rage, I guess, but both times, it nearly got you killed."

She gulped, looking into his calm but anxious green eyes. _Oh, no…he's onto me!_

He continued, "If we get another mission, I'm worried you'll act that way again. You weren't yourself when you got like that. I don't want to see you get hurt like that again."

Catalyn's heart pounded hard from its confinement in her chest. She felt touched by Kurama's worry for her. "What you just said means a lot to me," she told him softly. "But don't worry about me anymore. I've got everything under control. I promise that it will never happen again."

They smiled at each other. "Good," he said. "Then let's go."

They hurried to rejoin the others, and reached them just as they were about to open the office door. Waiting next to Koenma was a tall girl, about Catalyn's age, with red eyes and layered white hair…

"Kashi," murmured Kurama.

Catalyn stared at him, then back at Kashi. _Kashi? _she thought. _So this is the girl who…?_

"Hey, aren't you the one that snuffed Zankoku?" Kuwabara asked with a frown. She nodded.

"Hey, toddler, what's she doing here?" demanded Yusuke, also frowning.

Koenma gave a huff at the word toddler, but answered, "This girl, Kashi, has brought me valuable information concerning the demon we've been tracking."

Catalyn stared at the toddler in surprise. "You mean…?"

Koenma nodded. "We've pinpointed the demon cat's exact location." Before Catalyn could start jumping up and down, he continued, "In fact, it's in proximity to where Kashi's been living these past two months, and she's familiar with the area. She's offered to serve as your guide once you get going."

Catalyn could hardly contain her excitement. "When do we leave?" she asked breathlessly. She was going to be human again. She was going to be human again!

Koenma chuckled. "Take it easy, Catalyn. I know you're excited, but there's still plenty of time. You'll be leaving tomorrow at noon, so you can pack up today and also take some time to get to know Kashi."

When the group left Koenma's office accompanied by Kashi, Catalyn was in a state of total happiness. It was almost too good to be true. After being stuck with demonic powers for so long – not to mention a terrible curse – she was finally going to be free. "Can you believe it?" she said to Kurama. "I can't wait to be human again. Then maybe they'll let me back into the martial arts school."

Kurama noticed the wistful tone in her final sentence and smiled kindly. "I'm sure they will," he assured her. "I'm very happy for you."

Back in her room, Catalyn prepared to pack her belongings. If all went well, she'd never have to return to Spirit World again – that is, until she died of old age, but that wasn't about to happen anytime soon. Then she realized with a small pang that she was going to miss the guys, mainly Kurama. He'd been so kind to her throughout the past month or so she'd been with them (it was hard to believe it had been only a bit over a month; she felt like she'd known them for much longer). But as much as she liked Kurama, she wasn't about to stay on his behalf. She had a dream to pursue, and the only way for her to accomplish it was to go back to the martial arts school and redeem herself. She sighed loudly as she stuffed her pyjamas into her bag, the one she'd told the boys belonged to Junsei Muzai, another captive of her sensei's. Once she became human again, she'd leave the name of Catalyn behind and take up her true name once more. And life would resume its normal course once more.

There was a knock on her door. "Come in," she called.

It was Kashi. "Hey," she said softly, taking a few steps in.

"Hey," Catalyn replied brightly. She knew that the gang was still suspicious of Kashi, but she saw no reason to. Besides, she wasn't about to ruin her perfectly good mood. Kashi was a half-demon, just like she was, and she wanted to get to know her. She launched into conversation. "Thanks so much for finding Kitkit for me," she said earnestly. "I really hate being part demon."

Kashi didn't look surprised to hear this, but she did say, "I find it quite enjoyable."

"How so?" Catalyn questioned, interested to hear this new point of view.

She answered, "Well, I get to travel all over the demon realm and experience loads of new things. My mother was a fire demon, and my father was human. My father never found out."

Catalyn understood why Kashi enjoyed being a demon. She was born that way, and was used to it. She wasn't cursed. "I suppose the fangs are from your demon side, then?"

Kashi laughed loudly, which startled her; she'd had such a soft voice. "Nope," she laughed, speaking more loudly than before, her two fangs really showing through. "Believe it or not, they're from my human side."

Catalyn laughed with her. She liked this girl. "Don't you miss the human world at all, though?" she asked once she'd calmed down.

"No, not really," Kashi said. "I like the demon lands better. And if I hadn't chosen to live there – well, move around there, more like – I'd never have found your cat."

There was another knock on the door. Without waiting for Catalyn to say anything, the door was pushed open, revealing Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara. "Hey, Catalyn," Yusuke drawled. "What's up?"

"Just getting to know Kashi," Catalyn replied. "She's an awesome person."

Kashi looked at her, startled, but she smiled with what seemed like pride.

"So, what kind of skills does she have?" asked Kuwabara anxiously.

Catalyn slapped him across the face. "You're acting like she can blow you up at any moment!" she accused.

Kashi added in, "If you want to know, you can always experience it firsthand." With that, she glared at him, and his sleeve instantly caught fire.

"YEOW!" he yelped. He ran around in circles, slapping his sleeve. "Fire! Fire! Fire!"

Kashi gave an in-your-face laugh, and then shook her head, causing the fire to subside. Kuwabara rushed for the bathroom and rinsed his whole arm in the sink. Kashi laughed harder, causing the others to stare at her. "I can't believe it!" she gasped. "You should've seen the look on your idiotic face! It was priceless!"

Catalyn gave a small giggle, then tried to analyze Kashi's show of power. Kashi shot her a look. "If you want to analyze my powers, why don't you have one of your friends fight me? That'll do the trick."

Catalyn stared in surprise. Kashi's personality had completely changed from that of only a few minutes ago. She was suddenly so much more upbeat. Maybe she'd just been a bit shy at first. This was probably her true personality. And she was kind of fun. She already had something in common with the gang: a love for teasing Kuwabara.

"Well?" Kashi said impatiently.

Yusuke, who'd flopped down on the bed earlier, jumped up. "I'll take you on!" he said, flexing his muscles.

Kashi grinned. "All right. Just wait. I'll show you the meaning of power!"

The gang got up and moved to the training ring. Hiei was already there. Somehow, he'd known what was coming. So, Yusuke and Kashi stepped up into the ring and faced each other. Kurama was once again acting as referee. "Three, two, one, GO!"

Kashi grinned wickedly as Yusuke charged for her. Catalyn got ready to analyze her powers, and found it surprisingly easy to do. Kashi wasn't even hiding anything from her. Was she that confident in her abilities? A second later, she didn't need to wonder about that anymore. Kashi glared at Yusuke, and his pant leg caught fire. He dropped down and rolled, then leaped back up again (stop, drop, and roll: elementary basics, learn them well). Catalyn knew right then that Kashi's skills with fire far surpassed her own, perhaps even Hiei's. _Heh, _she thought with a smile. _I'd love to see her fight against Hiei. That would be awesome._

"Yusuke!" she called out. "You gotta keep moving, or she'll set you on fire again!"

Yusuke promptly began to run around in circles, closing in on Kashi ever so slightly. If he got close enough to fire his spirit gun, he'd gain the upper hand. But Kashi, though unmoving, seemed to be following his every move with perfect accuracy. Yusuke fired his spirit gun, but Kashi was ready for it. In a blur of motion, she was right next to him, and kicked his arm to the side, sending the blast for Catalyn. Catalyn hurriedly dived out of the way. When she looked back up, Yusuke had been knocked out of the ring.

"Kashi's the winner," Kurama said in a startled voice.

Kuwabara ran over to Yusuke. "Urameshi!" he yelled, stupefied. "You were clobbered!"

"I'd like to see you do better," Yusuke snapped, rubbing his arm.

Kashi grinned at him. "I told you I'd show you what power was!" she said.

Catalyn was no longer impressed with Kashi's skills. She was in shock. She recognized the kick Kashi had used to knock Yusuke out of the ring. It was one of her moves! But how could it be possible?

Kashi noticed her expression. "Something wrong?" she asked.

Catalyn shook her head hard. "No, nothing," she said with a fake smile. "Anyways, I have to finish packing." And she left for her room.

She tried as hard as she could to force the thoughts of Kashi from her mind as she packed, but every few minutes, she was reminded once more. How could Kashi have used once of her kicks? Was it just a coincidence? Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her.

She shook her head and zipped her bag shut. Then she noticed that she'd forgotten something on the desk. It was the photo of her parents. Even though it was only a picture, she felt herself getting lost in her father's blue eyes…the eyes she inherited. But her eyes had changed. They were that of a demon now…

**-Start flashback-**

Her parents had been driving her to the martial arts school, where she would begin her training to be a martial arts master. After a ten-hour drive, they'd finally arrived. She had one suitcase with her, with her most cherished belongings and not too many articles of clothing.

_The master greeted her at the door. "Welcome to our fine school," he said warmly. "It is a pleasure to meet you."_

_Catalyn bounced up and down, her hair tied in little pigtails. "I'm gonna be the best martial arts master in the world!" she said proudly._

_The master smiled down at her. "You will have to work very hard to accomplish that, child."_

"_I will!" she assured him._

_She was showed to her room, and on the way there, she met Vladomir, who later became her fiercest rival._

"_Ew, a girl!" he exclaimed._

"_I bet I'm better than you!" she told him. (In the end, it turned out to be true.)_

Then it was time for her to say goodbye to her parents. She wasn't going to see them for a very long time, not until she finished her training. It would be almost ten years. But she didn't shed a single tear. She gave them both hugs, saying, "I'll make you proud!" and that was that.

**-End flashback-**

_I hope I find Kitkit soon,_ Catalyn thought. _Then I'll be able to face my parents again._

There was a soft knock on the door, and Kurama entered. "How are you doing, Catalyn?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

"Of course you're not," Kurama said wisely, putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked at the photo in her hands and understood immediately. "You must miss them a lot."

"I do," Catalyn agreed sadly. "I haven't seen them since I entered the martial arts school." She lay her head on Kurama's shoulder without realizing she'd done it. She was a little tired, probably from her fight with Hiei. "And I sure as hell can't see them like this."

"My mother doesn't know I'm a demon either," Kurama said. "I can't bring myself to tell her. It would break her heart." He smiled. "You'll see them again soon. I promise we'll all do everything we can to help you become human again."

Catalyn sat up straight. "Just don't make any promises you can't keep," she said. "I know Hiei doesn't care."

Kurama sighed. "I think it's about time you both try and stop hating each other," he said. "You are both good people. There's no reason for your animosity."

She stood abruptly. She hated hearing that. "I'm going to eat something," she said in a somewhat mechanical voice, and she left the room.

**-The next morning-**

Catalyn woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go. She went to the kitchen, made herself some toast, and left again without stopping to say good morning to Hiei (who was already there).

"Catalyn."

She turned back, for Hiei had called her name. "What?" she snapped.

His usual frown didn't seem as hard as usual. "Don't make a fool of yourself today," he said.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Worry about your own actions, runt."

"Don't count on me to save your neck again if you mess up," he replied.

Her fists clenched. _That ungrateful little…!_ "Go on dreaming," she told him. "Because in case you didn't notice back at the Ten's castle, I saved your sorry life." Without waiting for the retort which she knew would be coming, she left the room for good.

**-Later, in Koenma's office-**

The portal stood waiting next to them. Everything was set. All they had to do was jump through the portal, and the journey would begin.

"Don't be idiots while you're there," Koenma warned them. "There won't be any time for rash actions."

"Keep your pacifier in, toddler, we'll be fine," Yusuke said.

Kashi jumped through the portal and, one by one, the others followed. Catalyn was last. She hesitated before jumping through. She looked at Koenma.

"Thanks."

And she was gone.


	19. Chapter 19

Oh my gosh, SEVEN reviews! I guess this means I should raise the bar, huh? From now on, five reviews, then I update. Thanks to everyone for their support! By the way, sorry if this one's a little short.

Vitanie Tora: Originally, in the quizzes, I had completely forgotten about Jet and Mari, but to change that would throw the story off a little, so I planned something else. But there is a mention of them in this chapter.  
daisyashley: I'm glad you liked it!  
TwitchyEars007: Catalyn is actually my favorite character out of all the people I've ever made up because of how realistic I made her. She's not perfect, and I had so much fun developing her. And about your email concerning Kashi, yes she's got bangs, but in truth I never did really plan an outfit (bad Nariko, bad). When I think about it, I think of some sort of shirt with no sleeves and pants, but feel free to be completely creative with that aspect.  
fangimation: I never fully closed the Zankoku deal, it's true, but he had a certain weak spot that if was hit, he'd die, like Suzaku in the Four Beasts arc. Kashi just knew exactly where it was, and got in when his guard was down. But Kashi is a pretty powerful character.  
Youko-Kokuryuuha: I hope this update came soon enough! I'm actually having trouble keeping up!  
blackie-chan: Kashi isn't Kitkit, and I'm telling you this now. Kashi's half fire demon, half human. Kitkit was a cat, remember?  
Angelkitsune-Naomi: I'm better at correcting others than myself, too! Sorry that I'm taking so long with your story, but it's taking so long to write these chapters and that's all the time I get on the computer lately. I've got a nice, busy-free day coming up soon. Please have a bit more patience!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse. Five reviews till I update!

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CHAPTER NINETEEN – SECRET'S RISING

When Catalyn and the others jumped through the portal, they found themselves in a calm area of the demon world. They were standing on a dirt path in a grassy valley. A clear stream of water flowed to their left. Up ahead, a mountain stood looming over them.

"We're to follow this stream up the mountain," Kashi explained. "Follow me!"

"Hey, I'm the leader around here!" Yusuke objected, and the two of them led the way while bickering loudly.

Catalyn sighed loudly as Kuwabara somehow joined the argument. "Complete idiots," she heard Hiei mutter, and she stifled a giggle.

Suddenly she remembered something. "Kurama," she said, "what happened to Jet and Mari? I can't believe I forgot about them!"

Kurama smiled. "I'd been wondering when you'd ask," he said. "They stayed there, where they belong. They're very happy now that they're free. They asked me to tell you that they'll never forget what you did for them."

Catalyn smiled too. "That's good to hear. I wonder if I'll see them again."

"I'm sure you will," he assured her.

Then she stopped short, her eyes wide.

"Catalyn? What's wrong?" Kurama asked instantly.

Catalyn gave him a fake smile. "Oh, nothing. I just felt a shiver down my spine, that's all. It's completely random, don't worry!"

Kurama gave a small laugh. "This reminds me that there's so much more to you than I probably know," he said.

She turned away and let her smile fade. Inside, she was in a panic. _The curse is acting up again, _she thought wildly. _Why now of all times? Oh, no… I've gone too long without… But what can I do? I swore I'd never use them again… _She shook herself over. _Well, there's only one thing I can do for now. I'll just try and fight it off and hope we reach Kitkit before anything bad happens. Or, if it's really necessary, I can sneak away in the middle of the night…but I'd still be breaking my vow. And if they catch me, I'll have no choice but to confess! I can't let them know about the things I've done! I've kept too much from them… Unless Kitkit releases me, I've got to keep my mouth shut. I just hope I'm strong enough to last…_

"Catalyn?" Kurama asked.

She snapped out of her reverie. "Huh?"

"Deep in thought, I see," Kurama said knowingly. "But you seem upset about something. Is everything okay?"

_Damn it all, _she thought viciously. _He's starting to figure me out! I shouldn't have let him get that close to me._ "I'm fine," she told him. "I've been thinking about Kitkit, that's all."

He nodded in understanding. "Of course. But don't worry about it. We're all here to help."

"Except Hiei," she corrected, throwing Hiei a dirty look. He frowned. Kurama sighed.

Yusuke, Kashi, and Kuwabara suddenly stopped arguing. Then Kashi smacked Kuwabara in the face. "I warned you once already!" she said loudly. "Try anything stupid, and I'll set your whole body on fire!" She winked at Catalyn.

Catalyn couldn't help but grin back. Kashi's upbeat personality really helped her mood. Maybe if her good mood held up, fighting off the curse wouldn't be so bad.

**-Meanwhile, in Koenma's office-**

Botan entered the room, looking a little perplexed. "Koenma sir," she began, "I've just had a chat with Lena and Ayame (A/N: They are the other grim reapers of Spirit World.)."

Koenma leaned forward. "What happened now?" he asked.

"Well, do you remember Catalyn's story?" she said. "She and another girl were enslaved, and the other girl was killed by the kidnapper." Koenma nodded, so she continued, "But the so-called Junsei Muzai was never picked up. None of us have brought her ghost to heaven. We have no idea where it is."

Koenma jumped up, his eyes wide in understanding. "That must mean –"

Botan nodded. "Junsei Muzai is still alive."

**-Back to the demon world-**

As time passed, Catalyn found it harder and harder to fight off the curse, and the effort just kept making her weaker. Normally, she'd never let things go this far, but she couldn't do anything in front of the guys. She couldn't defy the curse for long unless she wanted to die for it. That was the only way. The only way she could avoid letting the Beast have its way with her was to obey the curse's commands. So she really had no choice in the matter.

The sun was beginning to set, and the prospect of camping out for the night was very appealing to her. She could wait until they all fell asleep, go off to fulfill the curse's command, and return within five minutes. That way they wouldn't suspect a thing. Until then, she'd pant along.

She only realized just how much the curse had taken its toll on her when she felt Kurama helping her to her feet after tripping over a rock, which she didn't even notice she had done. "Aren't you paying any attention to the things around you?" he asked worriedly.

"What's going on?" Yusuke pestered. "You were fine yesterday."

"Stow it," Catalyn muttered. She shrugged off Kurama and continued on, but Kashi stopped her.

"You know what, guys? We're one third up the mountain already, and the air's only getting thinner from here. We should stop for the night to replenish our energy. Kitkit is at the very top. We'll get there tomorrow for sure." She winked at Catalyn.

As soon as the camp was set, they all ate together around the fire. Not much was said, except for another small argument between Kashi, Yusuke, and Kuwabara, which ended in a serious round of rock-paper-scissors. After, without a word, Catalyn found a comfortable spot on the grass and lay down, observing the stars as they appeared in the sky.

That's when she heard it. Her name had been mentioned. She strained her ears to hear better. The others were talking about her!

Kuwabara: "Maybe her fight with Hiei got her tired."

Kurama: "I doubt it. She still had plenty of energy after that, and a good night's sleep."

Yusuke: "Then what was up with her today?"

Kashi: "Give it a rest. She's probably not used to travelling long distances. Fighting and endurance are two completely different things."

Yusuke: "Maybe. But I doubt it."

Hiei: "Isn't it obvious, detective? That girl's hiding something from us."

Kurama: "Hiei, do you suppose it has something to do with her mood swings she had while battling Yami and Zankoku?"

Hiei: "Maybe."

Kuwabara: "What are you talking about?"

Kashi: "Oh, I know. I was watching you battle Zankoku. She got very violent very suddenly. I knew charging the way she did would kill her, so I decided to step in."

Yusuke: "Well, you're certainly modest."

Kashi: "Got a death wish?"

Kuwabara: "Funny, I never noticed a thing."

Yusuke: "Gee, wonder why."

Kuwabara: "HEY!"

Kashi: "Back to the convo, morons."

Kurama: "I don't know what exactly is wrong with her, but we're all going to have to watch over her carefully."

Hiei: "Hn."

Kurama: "She's going to need your help, Hiei."

Hiei: "Hn."

Yusuke: "Well, Kurama, you seem to know more than us, so why don't you talk to her about it?"

Kurama: "I'll try tomorrow. She needs rest right now."

Kashi: "So do we. Tomorrow's a big day, everybody!"

Catalyn had heard enough. They all suspected something of her now. _Damn, _she thought. _I guess I'll just have to avoid Kurama's questioning tomorrow._ Finally, everyone had settled down to sleep. She waited another half hour, just to be sure, after which she quietly stood up and looked around. Four figures lay on the grass, sleeping. There was a forest on the other side of the stream. She made a light jump and slipped into the trees. Then –

"Where do you think you're going?"

She whirled around. Hiei jumped out of a nearby tree. _Crap, _she thought angrily. _I forgot! There were five!_

"Well?" Hiei demanded. "Where were you going off to? Trying to get away from us?"

"What, so I'm not allowed to go for a night time stroll?"

"After waiting for everyone to fall asleep?"

He caught her. There was nothing she could do. He drew his katana and raised it, the blade mere inches from her throat. "While you're up, how about you test your skills against me?"

There was no way she could refuse. "I accept."

They moved to open space, and the fight began. Hiei took off instantly, moving like a blur around her. Using her reiki powers, Catalyn surrounded herself with a thin layer of armor shaping around her body, trying frantically to avoid Hiei's attacks. Her senses told her his speed hadn't changed since their last fight, yet he was completely overwhelming her. Why must she be so weak? Then, before she knew what had happened, Hiei whacked her in the back with the butt of his katana. She keeled over, muttering, "Baka."

Hiei stood over her. She looked up, her vision blurring. "I didn't hurt you," he said. "You were already on the verge of collapse. Shape up. If you don't, you'll be killed. Don't count on me to stick up for you."

He walked away and Catalyn lay her head down. _It's not my fault,_ she thought sadly as her eyes closed. _I never asked for this stupid curse… Hiei, I hate you. _With that, she fainted.

**-Later in Koenma's office-**

"You're right, Botan," Koenma said. "Junsei Muzai's ghost is nowhere to be found. And her death isn't written in the grade book yet. She's supposed to live for much longer."

"Not only that, Koenma sir," Botan said, "but we can't find her human body anywhere."

"Then where on earth could she be?" Koenma yelled, throwing another of his temper tantrums.

"Your breathing exercises, sir!" Botan cried.

Koenma calmed himself down. "Now that I think about it, I don't even know what this girl is supposed to look like."

"I have a picture somewhere," Botan offered. "I'll go find it for you." And she hurried out of the room.

**-The next morning, back on the mountain-**

It took ten minutes of Kurama's pleading to get Catalyn up that morning. When she finally sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she saw that he was genuinely worried. He was about to say something when Yusuke came over, laughing. "Catalyn, you look dead on your feet, ha!" She was spared the trouble of moving as Kashi hit him for her.

After washing her face in the cool stream water, Catalyn felt much better. Of course, she would have been even better if the curse wasn't acting up, but she did have some of her energy back. _Let's see how long it lasts,_ she thought grimly.

Ten minutes after they started walking again, Catalyn saw Kuwabara whispering to Kurama out of the corner of her eye. She groaned inwardly, knowing what was coming. Sure enough, a moment later, Kurama approached her, and the others were listening in.

"Hey," she said calmly. "Did you want to ask me something?"

"Actually, yes," he replied. She said nothing, and he began. "We were talking about this last night while you were sleeping, Catalyn. We all noticed you were getting weaker as the day went on. And we all know it's not because of endurance problems. You have great stamina. So we are all concerned that there is something else causing this…something you're not telling us about."

She still said nothing. _Remain silent as long as possible, _she ordered herself. _And if need be, lie to them and tell them it's nothing, even though they'd never buy that._

"Well?" Kurama prompted. "We all know you're hiding something. We won't think any less of you if you tell us now. We'd rather know than not."

You won't think less of me? Ha! That's a laugh. They'd hate me if they found out. I won't tell them, no matter what. Kurama's eyes were calm but filled with concern. "I'm fine," she said shortly. "This is something I can work out on my own. It has nothing to do with you."

"It does now that you've brought us all here with you," Kurama replied smoothly.

Catalyn spoke calmly and fast. "I didn't ask for this. I never asked for Yusuke and Kuwabara to find me. The only thing I wanted was to track down Kitkit. I didn't ask to be a part of your team, and I never asked for your help!" Her last words came out as a fierce shout. Then she realized what she'd said.

Kurama looked shocked at her outburst, and even worse, deeply hurt. Then he regained his composure, but his eyes were sad. "Well, then, I'm sorry for all the troubles you've had being forced to work with us. I can assure you that this is your challenge alone, and we will respect your will and not interfere." And he walked on ahead.

Catalyn stopped walking, shocked by her words. Hiei strolled past. "I hope you're satisfied, baka onna."

She stood rooted to the spot for a moment, and then continued onwards, walking slowly.

**-Somewhere unknown, inside a large house-**

The room was very dark. A man and a woman stood facing each other.

The man spoke. "Kashi has been to see you three times now, and reported that you requested to meet with me in person. So here I am."

The woman nodded. "I want to know exactly what you want from me and why."

"Didn't Kashi inform you of the details?"

"Yes, but I want to hear it from you."

"Well, here's my reason," the man declared. "There's been enough suffering. I've looked into your past. You've never hurt anyone except for that one single time. Why? What did she do to deserve it?"

"It wasn't her fault," the woman acknowledged, "but I had to vent my anger on someone. Surely you know of the circumstances. I was nearly killed, and I had to take refuge in that filthy human world. I couldn't contain my anger forever. I had to let it out."

"So are you willing to take it back now?" the man questioned.

"Sure," she said in a lighter tone. "But I'll need to know how worthy my victim is first. She needs to pass a test to prove herself."

"My thoughts exactly," the man agreed. "I never expected you to act without knowing her potential. Here is what I have in mind." He whispered something in her ear.

"No, no, this won't do at all," she objected. "It's too simple. How about…" she whispered in his ear.

The man was startled. "But why that?"

"It's the only way," the woman said simply.

The man sighed. "Very well."

**-Back in Koenma's office-**

Koenma stared in shock at the picture of Junsei Muzai, then at the girl lagging behind the boys on his big screen TV, showing him where the gang was. The same eyes, the same amber hair… They were identical.

"All this time…" Botan gasped. "She was…"

"Right in front of our noses," Koenma breathed, with a hint of regret. "Botan, do you know what you have to do?"

She summoned her oar instantly. "Yes, sir."

"Go and get an explanation right away," he ordered. "I'll be watching. Make sure nothing is left out."

"Yes, sir!" And Botan took off.

Koenma leaned back into his seat with a heavy sigh. "Who'd have thought," he said, "that all this time…that Junsei Muzai was actually her…that Catalyn was Junsei Muzai?"


	20. Chapter 20

Oh man, I've hit twenty chapters! Yeah baby! Ahem. Well, as promised, here is the next chapter. I'm estimating about 4 more, but at this point I'm still not too certain.

Thank you's:  
blackie-chan: Heh, actually the readers know that Catalyn is actually Junsei...it's been a long time though, that was all the way at the beginning of the fic...  
Vitanie Tora: Well, you'll see how Catalyn handles the situation in this chapter. Enjoy!  
TwitchyEars007: I've only made Hiei and Catalyn fight physically three times now...I never intend to make them fight a lot, so let me explain myself...the first two times they fought, it was to serve as training. Of course, training never lasted too long because of their missions. And those two times were a long way apart. Last chapter, I'm not exactly sure how to explain it, but Hiei wasn't really picking a fight with her. He was just trying to prove a point. Most of the time, though, it's verbal combat, or even glaring matches. I hope you understand my reasoning.  
Angelkitsune-Naomi: I love the idea of sound effects, lol, but it doesn't work so well in a written piece. :) Anyways, I can't really give you any hints at this point, but enjoy this chapter!  
fangimation: To refresh your memory, Catalyn's real name is Junsei Muzai, but she changedit when she became ahalf demon. The only time after thatshe used her real name in school, when she met Yusuke and Kuwabara in the first chapter.Then to avoid getting introuble with spirit world, her sensei pretended to have killedJunsei and that Catalyn was his slave, in other words pretended they were two different people. Catalyn never told the boys because Koenma had originally ordered that Junsei Muzai be brought in for questioning. Hope that clears things up.

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse. Five reviews till I update!

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CHAPTER TWENTY – THE BEAST WITHIN

Hours had passed since Catalyn's unintended outburst. The sun was directly overhead, burning into her skin and causing her head to pound (not that it wasn't already hurting – this just made it worse). Many times, she tried to call Kurama over, but the words just wouldn't come out of her mouth anymore. If he noticed this, he ignored it.

She no longer had the energy from the morning. She felt even weaker than she'd been the night before. Every muscle in her body was aching, and the scars on her arms were itching terribly. The curse was slowing her down tremendously as it continued to steadily take its toll on her. Her footsteps were sluggish, and she now had to fight to keep herself awake. But it didn't stop there. The Beast was gnawing at her consciousness, trying to break free. And of course, being what it was, it wouldn't try to do so without bringing along its favourite ally: pain. There was still quite a distance from the mountain, and she knew there would be no way she could hold off the Beast until then. Not even her strongest amount of willpower would save her.

She'd tried it before, with her sensei helping her. He'd draw out the Beast quickly so there'd be no weakness first, and then she would try to keep it at bay. But it never worked. Her sensei even admitted to her that only Kitkit could get rid of the Beast by removing the curse. So now, it was only a matter of time. She thought wistfully of the promise she made to Kurama, and how she said she'd never let the Beast control her again. She wished she didn't have to let him down.

_Come on, Catalyn,_ she urged herself. _Come on, don't back down now… Keep going. _Her vision started to blacken at the edges. _No! No, don't faint now! Keep going steady. Keep walking. Left, right, left, right. That's it. Stay strong. You can do this. You can…_

Meanwhile, the guys weren't paying any attention to her. After her outburst, they all knew it was best to ignore her for a while and hope she'd blow off her steam soon. They just followed Kashi and trudged higher and higher up the mountain.

"How much longer?" Kuwabara asked Kashi at one point.

Kashi scanned the summit in the distance. "I'd say another half hour or so, if we keep this pace." She flashed him a grin. "Are you up to it?"

"Of course I am!" he yelled. "I'm the great Kazuma Kuwa–"

"That's enough outta you," Yusuke scowled, knocking him over the head.

"Come on, you two," Kurama said. "Now's not the time."

Yusuke looked at him oddly. "You okay, Kurama?"

"Fine, why do you ask?"

Yusuke shrugged. "Like I said last night, you know her better than the rest of us. You're the one she directed that comment at." Kurama said nothing.

"You're being oddly perceptive lately," Hiei commented with his usual frown. "I'll admit, it's a refreshing change."

Yusuke glared at him. "Little punk!"

But before he could throw any other insults at him, Kuwabara looked around and said, "Uh, guys? Where's Catalyn?"

They all looked around, but she was nowhere nearby. "So she finally took off on us?" Yusuke asked.

Hiei pointed down. Everyone followed his direction. Sure enough, Catalyn was extremely far back, slowly dragging her feet along the ground, her head down.

"Catalyn!" Kuwabara yelled at her. "What'cha doing down there?"

She didn't answer. She didn't even show any indication of having heard him.

"Hey, Catalyn!" Kashi and Yusuke yelled at the same time.

Again, Catalyn didn't seem to hear them. Suddenly she began to sway.

"Catalyn!" Kurama cried urgently, and he leaped downhill to reach her, the others hot on his heels. (Well, Hiei took his time, but that's besides the point.) Kurama reached her as she collapsed, catching her in his arms just before she hit the ground. "Catalyn!" he repeated, worried, shaking her gently. "Catalyn, what's wrong? Catalyn!"

She stirred slightly. Then…

"RAAARGH!"

"Uhn!" Kurama flinched and brought a hand to his cheek. Blood dripped onto his fingers.

They all stared at Catalyn. Her eyes were open, but it wasn't her. Her face was sickeningly pale and her eyes were wide and red. She began to squirm in Kurama's arms, but he tried to hold her steady. Her eyes glowed and she bared her teeth, which grew into fangs. Her claws grew longer. She hissed and thrashed around violently. She suddenly slashed upwards again, and caught Kurama across the other cheek.

Kurama winced in pain as both his cheeks bled, but he fought hard to hold Catalyn down. He grabbed both her wrists and held them as tightly as she could. The crazy Catalyn lurched all over the place, trying to shake him off, but Kurama refused to let go. She kicked him in the stomach hard and he fell backwards, dragging her with him.

The others backed off slightly, stunned, not knowing what to do.

"She's gone crazy!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"Kurama, let go of her!" Yusuke shouted. "She's dangerous! She'll hurt you!"

Catalyn thrashed about, knocking Kurama down over and over again, but he wouldn't release his grip. "No!" he cried, yelling in pain as he was thrown into the ground headfirst, the dirt mingling with the blood on his cheeks and causing it to sting terribly. "Catalyn!" he yelled at the thrashing body as he struggled to restrain her. "Catalyn, wake up! Catalyn, wake up! Catalyn!"

"_Catalyn…Catalyn…Catalyn!" _

_What? Who's calling me? It's Kurama! But I can't answer him! My body won't listen to me! The Beast is controlling it! I'm trapped! I need to break free! It's hurting! I have to break free!_

"_Catalyn, wake up! Catalyn!"_

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_

Catalyn came awake very suddenly, completely disoriented and terribly weak. One moment, her eyes had been red and her body was struggling violently, but then she blinked, and was herself again. Her claws shrank, her fangs faded, her eyes turned yellow again, and her body fell limply into someone's arms. She didn't know who was holding her, and she was too weak to care.

"Please…" she choked out, her voice coming out in a tiny whisper. "Find me something…a rabbit, even…any animal…just as long…as I can…kill it…" She could faintly sense confusion in the air, but all the voices were a blur. "Just do it," she whispered, and her vision faded.

Her eyes closed again, but they did not reopen a moment later, filled with madness. Kurama looked up at the others, who were just as bewildered as he was, but he was filled with a sense of urgency. "I don't know why, but we have to do as she says if we want to help her!"

Yusuke looked at Hiei. "You're the fastest."

"Hn," Hiei sniffed, but he took off for the job anyways.

Catalyn stirred again a moment later. Kuwabara and Yusuke braced themselves, but nothing happened. Hiei returned with a squirming rabbit he held by the ears. He held it over Catalyn and waited.

She found the strength to open her eyes again after a minute. Someone was holding something that was writhing and shaking…something for her. She raised a trembling hand, her claws pointing right at the thing. She tried to maintain focus. She had to focus…and she released a fireball. It hit the thing and it burst into flames. The person holding it dropped it and stepped on it, smothering the fire. The dead animal's life energy poured into her body. It soothed her itching scars and the pain faded away, completely restoring her strength. Everything was clear again, and she was bursting with energy.

She bolted up in Kurama's arms and looked around into everyone's mystified faces. "Wow, she looks like she just had a jolt of caffeine; she's wide awake now," Yusuke commented.

"Shut up," she muttered darkly. She was angry more than anything else right then. Angry that she'd let herself down yet again, and that she'd completely blown her cover. There was no way she'd be able to get away with this…

As if her day couldn't get any worse, Botan suddenly appeared, flying on her oar, zooming towards them. "Junsei Muzai!" she yelled breathlessly, landing next to everyone.

_Oh, no!_ "Huh?" asked Kuwabara.

Yusuke frowned, thinking hard. Then his eyes lit up. "Wasn't she the girl we met the same day as we did Catalyn?"

Botan nodded and shook her head. "Right and wrong, Yusuke," she said. "You just made one mistake. Junsei Muzai and Catalyn are the same person."

"What?"

Catalyn tried hard not to meet anyone's eyes, but they were all on her, demanding an explanation. She sighed, filled with sadness and anger and regret. "Fine!" she burst out, her chest heaving with emotion. "I'll tell you everything.

"It all started the day I was demonified," she began. "My name was Junsei Muzai, and I was the only girl at the martial arts boarding school I attended. I was one of the most promising fighters, but lots of boys thought I was a demon child, not believing that a female could possibly fight well. When I became demonified, their worst fears came true. But they didn't kick me out because of that."

"Then why did they?" asked Kuwabara.

"They kicked me out," Catalyn took a deep breath, "because I was cursed. I could have easily hurt someone without meaning to. I couldn't return home like that. So I ran away into the woods along with one other person. One of the oldest teachers at the school came with me, choosing me to be his last student. He was my sensei, and he didn't fear me for who I was. Instead, he helped me finish my training in the wild. I changed my name to Catalyn so I wouldn't be recognized. I think I also did it because deep down, I refused to believe that I, Junsei Muzai, had been turned into a demon. Sensei agreed it was for the best. He was the one who pretended to be my kidnapper. He cared deeply for me and didn't want me to get into trouble. But even he couldn't protect me from the curse."

She began to unravel the bandages on her arms. When the long strips of white fell to the ground, everyone gasped. Her arms were covered with dozens of terrible scars. "I was slashed very badly by Kitkit," she explained. "At first, I thought these were normal scratches. But then I figured it out. They were symbols of my curse. The curse was this: every few or so weeks, I would run terribly low on energy. It was very sudden, but I always knew when the time was coming because the scars would itch and my head would pound. The only possible way to make it go away was to kill a living being – any kind, whether it be a mouse or a human – and absorb its life energy once it died. Then I'd return to normal and have nothing to worry about for a few more weeks. The longer I ignored it, the weaker I got. And then the Beast would come out.

"The Beast is a part of this curse, too. It is the monster inside of me that controls the curse, the one that needs the life energy. If I can't satisfy its needs, I will die. I've tried resisting it, but I could never do it in the end. Sensei and I tried, but he concluded that the only way to disobey the Beast was to die. And if I got too weak, the Beast would take over my body and kill the first thing in its path. So I had to kill. I did it to stay alive. There were other times, too, when the Beast would take over. It happened when I lost too much blood. I would grow weak, and the Beast would come out. That's why I acted like I did when fighting Yami and Zankoku. I was too weak. The Beast needed to kill. And I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Finally, Catalyn couldn't take it anymore. Her voice broke and she began to cry. "Do you see what I've had to live with? See what I had to go through ever since that day? So what if they were only animals? I've been killing more living things than anyone my age should! And I never once did it willingly!" Tears splattered across the dirt ground. "I didn't ask for this! All I wish for is to be normal!"

No one said anything as she continued to cry. She didn't care. She knew they hated her now. But nothing mattered to her anymore. Everything was ruined. She felt cold, colder than she'd ever felt before.

Then, suddenly, someone put their hands on her shoulders. She choked back her tears and sniffed. Then she looked up…into Kurama's warm green eyes, filled with sympathy. Her body grew warm for an instant, but everything changed an instant later, when she noticed the cuts on his cheeks. They were still bleeding, obviously very recent. She looked down at her hands. Her nails were stained with red bearing the same scent as Kurama's blood. Then she realized, horrified, what must have happened when the Beast took control.

"Kurama…" she gasped, her eyes wide. "Did I…Did I!"

Kurama hurriedly tried to calm her down. "It's nothing," he rushed. "I hardly felt –"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Catalyn shrieked. She slapped him off and ran, crying even harder than before.

Then came a classic moment in anime running. She tripped over a small rock and fell face-first, sobbing, into the dirt. Someone was there, trying to take her hand, but she pushed it away. Then someone grabbed her arm and held it in a tight, painful grip.

It was Hiei.

"This foolishness will get you nowhere," he said sharply, his face sterner than she had ever seen it. He released her, but she stayed there, on her knees, still plagued with sadness and shock.

Kurama levelled with her and tried to look directly into her eyes. Catalyn twisted her head, trying to avoid his gaze, but once he caught her, she couldn't look away. "Catalyn," he said seriously, but with such tenderness that she wouldn't have been able to look away even if she wanted to. "I don't hold you to blame for what has happened. I know that you didn't want any of this, and I understand why you kept this hidden. But you must realize that this doesn't change the way we think of you. I for one still think very highly of you."

Yusuke jumped in, "Yeah, so you have this wacko curse and killed off a few animals. Who cares? We don't!"

"That doesn't change the fact that I still think you're gorgeous!" Kuwabara gushed.

His shirt caught on fire, courtesy of Kashi, and he leaped into the stream, yelping, as Kashi winked and grinned wickedly.

Kurama stood, and Catalyn followed suit. "Kurama, everyone," she said, "I'm sorry for everything you've gone through because of me, but…if it's not too much trouble, I'd be honoured to have all of you accompany me on this mission."

Kurama smiled, the same great smile as always. The soaking Kuwabara nodded, as did Yusuke. Kashi grinned widely. Hiei hn-ned, but he seemed somewhat satisfied. "We'll all be here for you," Kurama said.

No words could have described the joy Catalyn felt in that moment. She launched herself into Kurama's arms, taking everyone completely by surprise. "Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you so much." Kurama's surprised expression softened.

A few minutes later, Catalyn's bandages were tied around her scars again, and she was filled with energy and ready to go. "Another half hour or so and we'll be there!" Kashi told everyone with her crazy grin. "Don't slacken the pace, now!"

In a way, Catalyn was happy, almost relieved, that her secret was out. No more playing pretend. And it was better already.

Kashi didn't look back anymore to tease the boys or to make comments as she led them up the mountain. She was deep in thought. Then she said something aloud, but so softly that no one else could hear: "It's almost time."

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So yeah, that's it for this chapter. Now you fully understand why I called this fic The Feline Curse! Hope you all enjoyed it! Remember, five reviews and I update! 


	21. Chapter 21

Gomen nasai twenty million times! But trust me on this one, I have a very good reason. I was halfway done the chapter some time ago, and that night there was a power outage. We finally got it back late the next day, and the morning after that, I was finishing up the chapter so I could upload it when we lost power again! This time the outage lasted a couple of days, and when we got power back I lost most of what I had just written, so I had to rewrite it. I'm sorry for making everyone wait, but I hope you all understand!

Thank you's:  
Vitanie Tora: Your comment reflected exactly what I was trying to prove in that chapter! Thanks!  
blackie-chan: Heh, don't worry about it. Sometimes when I read fics, I forget what happens at the beginning after it progresses a while.  
Yumiko-san: I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review!  
Angelkitsune-Naomi: I can't believe I did that to Kurama! Gah! Oops... Well, it's true, he is a pretty boy, but I love him for it. I'll be looking at your new chapter shortly!  
Darkest-Side-of-the-Moon: Heehee I like Kashi's ability too. :) I like your username by the way, it reminds me of a song I like.  
Youko-Kokuryuuha: Thanks, and I hope you like this chapter!  
TwitchyEars007: Next secret is out this chapter! (It's not Catalyn's though...but yeah.) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alrighty, I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse. Five reviews till I update!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – THE FINAL TEST

They were nearing the summit. Catalyn could see something up ahead, and so she quickened her pace. Kashi looked back at her, her eyebrows raised. But she was smiling. "Honestly, Catalyn, we're almost there anyways. Save your strength! You'll need it." Then she turned her attention to the path ahead, all the while whistling a happy tune.

Catalyn frowned at Kashi's back. Her tone had changed when she spoke that last sentence. "You felt it too, then," Kurama said quietly. She nearly jumped; his voice startled her.

"What do you think it was?" she muttered.

"Hopefully nothing," Kurama answered, "but I highly doubt it."

Catalyn looked around, and finally noticed that Botan was no longer with them. "So she's reporting back to Koenma?" she sighed.

"The toddler probably knows already," Yusuke said. "He's probably been watching us the whole time."

Catalyn didn't know what to think of this. What sort of punishment would Koenma bestow upon her? The gang seemed to be wondering the same thing. Kuwabara offered, "Maybe he'll make you stay with us longer. That would be nice."

Catalyn glared at him so fiercely that he gulped and backed away. "You know," Kurama said, "that wouldn't be so bad. That's how I made such strong friendships with Yusuke and Kuwabara."

"I know," Catalyn said wearily. "You told me before. But I made a deal with Koenma."

"And you also lied to him," Kurama pointed out.

She sighed, realizing the truth of his words. Still, she was able to look ahead with excitement. They were almost there. Soon she would be free.

**-Back in Koenma's office-**

Botan entered the office to find Koenma replaying Catalyn's confession on his screen. "So you heard it all?" she asked. He nodded. "But you have to pity the girl. She had no choice, after all."

Koenma nodded again. "I'll think about it," he said.

**-Back to the others-**

Finally, after what seemed to Catalyn like ages (her excitement was getting the better of her), they reached the top. A large house (similar to Naraku's castle in Inuyasha) loomed into view, but no one was outside. Still, there was an odd sensation in the air. It made Catalyn feel like she was a predator's prey, just standing there until the predator chose the perfect moment to pounce.

"Is she here?" she asked Kashi.

Kashi's face was all seriousness. Her outgoing attitude had completely vanished. "She's definitely here," she answered confidently. "But she won't come out until she thinks it's time. It'll be soon, though. She knows we're here."

Now Catalyn was certain something was wrong with Kashi, and from the look on Kurama's face, he knew it too. "Something wrong?" she asked.

Kashi grinned so widely that they knew it was fake. "Nope, nothing at all!" she said in a falsely cheery voice that was obvious to everyone (except Kuwabara – he IS a dimwit, after all). But there was no time to question her any further, for someone in the house laughed.

It was a deep but womanly voice, and it made Catalyn's ears twitch. The door to the house was open. Standing on the front steps was a demon woman. Her humanly skin was pale, but along her arms it seemed to transform downwards into cat skin. Her hands and feet were bare and her claws were long and sharp. She wore what seemed to be a short skirt of brownish cat skins, unlike her actual skin, which was more orangey. She wore a tight black tank top and a bandana of more brown cat skins around her neck. Her hair was shoulder-length and straight, completely white except for the tips, which were blood red. Sticking out of it were two orange cat ears. A tail of similar color emerged from beneath her skirt. Her eyes were red with slit-like pupils, and she was grinning in a way that made her seem like she was up to no good.

"That's her," Catalyn whispered, trembling from an emotion she couldn't yet identify. "That's Kitkit."

Kitkit's gaze bore down on everyone in turn, reaching Catalyn last. Her eyes lingered there for a long time.

"What do you want?" asked Catalyn coldly through clenched teeth.

She gave a short, shrill laugh. "I was about to ask you the same thing, Junsei Muzai."

Catalyn glared. "Don't call me that," she snapped.

The demon laughed. "Tut tut, aren't we the angry little demon girl?" she said, thoroughly enjoying the reactions she was getting.

"I'm only a demon because you made me that way!" Catalyn said defensively. "And that's why I'm here. I want you to return me to normal and undo the curse you placed on me!"

Kitkit's grin grew sinister. "I'm afraid I can't do that, kitten. At least, not without reason. How about this: pass a test I set up for you, and then I'll agree to your terms."

"What kind of test?" Catalyn asked, her anger forgotten. She hadn't been expecting this.

"Lay a scratch on me," Kitkit answered smoothly.

Catalyn took a step back in surprise. "What?" she asked, completely bewildered.

"You heard me. Lay a scratch on me. That's all you need to do. It'll prove your worth."

"B-but –" Catalyn had no idea what to make of this. "Scratch you? Just a scratch?"

Kitkit nodded. "Of course, scratching me is a near-impossible task for someone so much weaker than me…but I can't help it that I'm so strong, can I?" she said, licking her lips in anticipation.

Catalyn's fists clenched in anger. "Why, you –"

Kurama put a steady hand on her shoulder. "You can't charge in like that," he said seriously. "We can't underestimate her. I doubt she's exaggerating."

Her ears twitched, trying to get a reading on Kitkit's powers, but she got nothing. _She's hiding her powers, _she realized. _And doing a damn good job of it. I'm going to have to just rely on my other skills._

"I'll go with you," Kurama added with a smile. Catalyn smiled back

Hiei gave on of his rare grins. "Lay a scratch on a demon who claims the task to be impossible? This should prove to be an interesting challenge."

She frowned. _He's only in this for self-interest._ Still, she was happy that Hiei was agreeing to help. The three of them charged forwards to begin the battle.

Yusuke yelled, "Wait for us!" and Kuwabara added, "We're coming too!" but Kashi blocked their path.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," she said.

Catalyn instantly stopped to look back. So did Hiei and Kurama. They all stared at Kashi.

"What the hell?" Yusuke cried. "We're on the same side here!"

But Kashi shook her head. "Sorry, detective," she said. Then she grinned. "You can't really expect me to go against my _mother_, can you?"

Everyone gasped, and all (except for Hiei) yelled, "Mother!"

Kashi nodded. "I don't have her feline genes, but I did inherit her fire powers. And for the record, I was never on your side. I wasn't helping you get here. I was on orders to lead you here so you could fight. But Yusuke, Kuwabara…humans are a waste of my mother's time. I'll fight you instead."

Kuwabara was gaping in shock, but Yusuke suddenly grinned. "That's fine," he sneered. "I was hoping for a rematch, anyway."

Catalyn looked back worriedly. Sure, Kashi's betrayal hadn't come as a total surprise, but she didn't know what to make of the new match-up. Kashi had creamed Yusuke the last time they fought. Sure, Yusuke knew her moves now, but would it be enough?

Kitkit laughed, drawing Catalyn's attention back to her own fight. She could hear the sounds of fists behind her. "Don't worry," Kurama muttered. "They'll be fine. Trust them."

"Don't keep me waiting," Kitkit called. "Just try and lay a scratch on me."

Catalyn entered her fighting stance. "You're on."

Without another word, she charged for Kitkit, who took a nimble step sideways to dodge her punch. _Damn, _thought Catalyn, knowing exactly why that punch didn't land.

Kitkit knew it too, and shook her head. "Tsk, tsk, after all those years at the school and you still don't know better than to act in anger."

Catalyn took a few soothing breaths and her nerves steadied. She looked at the boys. Kurama pulled a rose out of his hair and summoned his rose whip. Hiei drew his katana. She and Kurama looked at each other and nodded. Then all three of them charged.

She reached Kitkit first, and mixed in as many reiki-filled kicks and punches as she could in an attempt to distract the demon, but Kitkit dodged them all. She moved faster, and Kitkit started blocking as well. Her blocks were as hard as rocks. Kurama closed in and lashed out with his rose whip. Kitkit put on even more speed, then grabbed Catalyn's foot and Kurama's whip.

It was what Hiei had been waiting for. All Catalyn could see were flashes of light where the sun reflected off the katana as he went after Kitkit with all his strength and speed. Suddenly Catalyn felt the air being whipped out all around her and realized that Kitkit had tossed her aside to fight Hiei. She flipped through the air and landed for an instant. With her tail as a boost, she pushed off back into the fight, but Kitkit merely threw her aside once more.

Kurama landed next to Catalyn. He'd been released as well, but backed up to regroup. They both watched as flashes of the katana could be made out through Hiei's fight.

"She's dodging him no problem," Catalyn remarked.

"Her speed far surpasses his," Kurama said. "Incredible."

Catalyn shook her head. "Her powers must be extraordinary." A chill ran through her spine as she said that, filling her with a feeling of foreboding. Still, she readied herself to fight again. "But I'll beat her anyways," she said determinedly.

Kurama gave her the tiniest of smiles. Then they joined the fray again.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were facing Kashi, both panting hard, but Kashi had only just started breaking up a sweat. "Oh, come on, boys," she said with her usual grin. "I haven't even used my fire powers yet and you're already tired! I knew it would be easy, but not this easy!"

They glared at her. "Shut up!" Yusuke snapped. "We'll take it up a notch from here."

He and Kuwabara moved into the offensive, throwing much harder punches than the last time. "Better," Kashi said as she fought back. "But it's not going to be – ah!"

Yusuke's reiki-filled punch had landed right under her shoulder. She flipped through the air and separated from the boys, flexing her muscle. She was still grinning. "Not too shabby, for you at least," she said. "But you'll need more than that. Simple reiki punches don't work on me. Sorry," she added with a mischievous grin.

Catalyn, Kurama, and Hiei all separated from Kitkit, panting. After all that, they still didn't have a scratch on her. How many times had Catalyn hit her only to find Kitkit blocking her? There were too many to count. Hiei had used his katana on her with tremendous speed, only to find that hers was greater. Heck, she could even block his katana with her nails! And Kurama had hit her many times with his rose whip, but he never left a single scratch. Many times he thought he'd had her in his grasp, only to witness her smuggle herself out without difficulty. Sure, they couldn't hurt her, but couldn't they leave just one tiny painless scratch? A scratch was all they needed, but even that seemed too much to ask for.

"Why isn't any of this working?" Catalyn panted, trying hard to fight off her growing frustration.

"Well," Kurama said in surprise. "This is certainly a challenge."

"No kidding," she said sarcastically, ignoring her rising panic. It was getting worse.

"Have you gotten a reading on her yet?" he asked.

She shook her head sadly. "I can't detect a thing. Her stealth skills are incredible."

Kitkit gave a short laugh. "So many compliments!" she exclaimed. "I'm flattered. But this flattery will get you nowhere." She laughed again. "This is so amusing!"

Catalyn gritted her teeth together, glaring. "Answer me this," she said. "Why did you make me a demon in the first place?"

Kitkit shrugged. "It's quite simple, really," she replied. "I'd been wanting to curse someone, but I didn't have the strength to for a while. When I got it back, I figured you'd be a good enough victim."

Catalyn's fists clenched. "I took you in, when you were in the form of a hurt and helpless kitten," she said, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "Your injuries were severe. I nursed you back to health. I cared for you. So, was that curse some sort of reward for my kindness?"

"Something like that, yeah," came the nonchalant reply.

Catalyn's emotions rose to the bursting point. It wasn't just anger, though she felt much of that. She was filled with feelings of hatred, rejection, and bitter sorrow. "I don't believe it!" she screamed, and, ignoring Kurama's cry, she rushed to meet her opponent head-on, her fists glowing with disastrous amounts of reiki.

Meanwhile, Yusuke and Kuwabara's fight with Kashi wasn't going so well. Yusuke had used up two spirit guns so far, and though Kuwabara had his aura sword out, it was smaller than when he'd first used it. Kashi was panting like the rest of them, but she definitely appeared to have more strength left than they did.

"You're doing all right so far, for humans at least," Kashi said. "I guess I am impressed. But remember, I haven't even used my real powers yet. I've been taking it easy." Her left arm was bruised from when she took two consecutive blows from the boys without giving it a chance to recover, but she still appeared to be in good shape. "And Kuwa-chan, you've got to fight me with the intent to kill," she teased gleefully. "As for you, Yusuke, your attacks just aren't good enough. Not that Kuwabara's are any better, though," she added as an afterthought.

If anything could have drawn out more power from the boys, that was it. They charged, their auras flaring up. Everything happened in one swift movement, leaving Kashi grinning. There was a slashing light, a yell of, "Shotgun!" and a blast. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Kashi was brushing herself off. She seemed a little injured, but she didn't seem fazed by it.

"Well, I took in those hits, and they're not as bad as I thought," she said to herself. "But they weren't as good as I was hoping for either." Then to the boys, she said, "I can take about a dozen shots like that, but I doubt you'll have enough energy to hit me twelve more times with the same amount of power as this. Still, I've let you play around long enough." She snapped her fingers and little balls of fire appeared at her fingertips. "It's time to bring out the fire power."

Catalyn fired a reiki-filled punch, which Kitkit easily dodged. Then she flipped back to kick her, but Kitkit grabbed her foot and prepared to toss her. Just before she did, Catalyn aimed her second punch. Kitkit grabbed her fist, her claws digging into Catalyn's recently healed knuckles and sizzling. She cried out in pain and twisted herself over to kick once more, but Kitkit stopped it with her tail. Then, before Catalyn could use her tail as a spring to get away, Kitkit threw her. She flew through the air, landing hard on her hip. She tried to bring her hands down to make the landing a bit smoother, but her hurting wrist couldn't take it. There was a small crack, and Catalyn gasped as the pain filled her hand.

"Sprained your wrist, did you?" Kitkit asked with a grin.

Kurama and Hiei moved into a joint attack while Catalyn took deep breaths, trying to soothe the pain. She was dimly aware of Kurama and Hiei's attack, but when they retreated, Kurama's rose whip was sliced in half and Hiei's katana had snapped so that it was the size of a dagger.

Kitkit was still grinning. "I didn't even get the chance to show off my fire power," she said regretfully. "Oh, well." Her eyes gleamed evilly. "I'll just finish you off with it."


	22. Chapter 22

Well, once again I'm extremely late in putting up the next chapter, and I apologize. So, I'll make this one fast. There will be two more chapters after this one (possibly three depending on how I break things up) and then The Feline Curse series will come to a close. I do have a sort of sequel series planned out, so if you would like me to write it up I would be happy to. And yeah...that's about it. We're almost there!

Okay, thanks to my five reviewers, Vitanie Tora, TheSoulsDemise, Angelkitsune-Naomi, BluesDaughter, and fangimation. I don't have much to say this time around, except that I was surprised by the many comments of people hating Kitkit. I actually like her character...anyways moving on...

Oh yeah, this series is not set after the third season of YYH, so no one knows Yusuke is part demon yet. I guess you could say it is set between the Dark Tournament and the Sensui Saga. Just to clear things up a little.

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH, just The Feline Curse. Five reviews till I update!

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Sorry, one more thing before we start. This is important, because it concerns something that happens during this chapter, near the end. There is a special scream, made by Catalyn. When I first wrote this, I had just finished watching Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (love that movie! the second one too) and it kinda inspired me. There's a part, near the beginning of the movie, when the pirates invade and they enter Elizabeth's house and go after her. The butler answers the door and is promptly shot and killed, and Elizabeth screams then covers her mouth...well, imagine that scream, just prolonged a bit longer. Catalyn's gonna make that scream sometime in the chapter (not saying where), and you'll know because the sentence will be "Catalyn screamed" and no more than that. Okay? Got it? Good, now you can read.

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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – A NIGHTMARE COME TRUE

Kitkit's aura swirled around her in a blaze of fire, the strength of it stirring up a fierce wind. Now she was no longer holding back, and Catalyn was able to get her readings. At least, she tried to. It was positively overwhelming.

She knew Kurama felt the same way. He had his arms over his face to shield himself from the wind. "This power," he said. "It's enough to kill us all in one stroke!"

"She really intends to kill us," Catalyn heard herself say in a distant voice. She felt dazed by this show of power.

"We'll have to fight her with that same intent," Kurama stated.

"Kurama, don't you have any plants that can hurt her a little?" she asked hopefully.

He answered, "Most of them are plants that are attracted to open wounds. There's not much I can do at this point. But there might be one I can use…don't move an inch, though."

Catalyn nodded, knowing exactly what he was up to. Hiei was motionless too, but she was sure he'd much rather be moving. Then, with the flick of a seed, it emerged – the deadly purple, three-headed plant with snapping jaws that had almost enabled Kurama to be Karasu in the Dark Tournament.

The plant snapped it jaws open and shut, revealing many layers of pointed teeth. Kitkit grinned, her eyes wild with excitement, and stepped towards it.

"I assume you don't realize the situation you're getting yourself into," Kurama said smoothly as the plant lunged for the cat demon, who easily dodged it. "And the more you move, the more vicious it will get."

Kitkit received less and less time to regroup after dodging. Soon the plant had her on the ropes. Still she grinned, her aura going strong.

"How long can you keep this up?" Kurama asked.

Kitkit's grin grew wider. "How long can you?" she retorted. Then she made her move. She deliberately leaped into one of the plant's mouths and its head exploded in flames. Then she aimed straight for the plant's heart. She pressed one palm against it, and the whole thing was engulfed in a roar of flame, and then winds as big as those of an explosion kicked in. With a blaze of wind and fire in a huge blast, the plant was completely obliterated. Kurama barely had time to escape the blast, and it left him covered in scratches and a few minor burns.

Catalyn hurried over to him. "Kurama, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

He nodded, putting a hand to his shoulder and winced. His sleeve had ripped off, revealing a shining, circular burn. "Well, it could have been worse," he said.

Catalyn took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves. Her hands were shaking again. She'd never accomplish her task in that state, but she couldn't help the rising despair.

"Tsk, tsk, Kurama," Kitkit chided suddenly, grabbing their attention. Kurama scowled. "I expected better from you. Weren't you the legendary bandit Youko Kurama? This is pathetic. You're really letting your former self down."

Kurama glared at her, his eyes blazing but saying nothing. Catalyn had never seen him glare like that. It was almost scary. But she could understand his anger. She knew what he was thinking. If only he could transform into his Youko form, and then he'd be strong enough… But it just couldn't happen.

Kitkit continued. "And as for _you_, little kitten," she said, and Catalyn frowned at the nickname, "you don't seem to be very strong. Where are _your_ special techniques? And why haven't you used your flames against me yet?"

"I don't use the powers _you_ gave me anymore," she snapped angrily. "I never asked for them and I don't want them. I'm satisfied with my own techniques."

Kitkit shook her head and made a tutting noise. "You're lying," she said in a singsong voice. "In order to reduce the effects of the curse, you have no choice but to rely on those powers I gave you. If you never used them, you'd have been dead a long time ago."

Catalyn could find no words to retort back. All she could do was clench her fists, grit her teeth, and glare. Then she heard Hiei speak: "She might be too cowardly to use fire, but I assure you I'm much stronger than that. You want firepower? I'll give it to you." Catalyn frowned at the insult but stopped when she saw Hiei undoing the bandages on his right arm. She hoped that this attack would be strong enough to cause some damage.

With the bandages gone, Hiei's black dragon tattoo was revealed, and dark flames, the sign that he was about to unleash his most devastating technique, surrounded his arm. He charged for Kitkit, yelling, "Dragon of the Darkness Flame!" and in one swift movement, he sent his giant black dragon straight for Kitkit.

Kitkit jumped back, but the dragon caught up to her. Then she did the most amazing thing: she pushed her flaming palms against its mouth in an attempt to push it back. Her entire body flamed up, and the dragon pushed harder, but she had a firm hold on it now. Catalyn and Kurama both gasped in surprise, shocked that the black dragon was being beaten so easily. Hiei was surprised as well, but he leaped into action, charging up behind his attack, preparing a fist of mortal flame assault. Then, with the same technique used against Kurama's deadly plant, Kitkit obliterated the dragon. The explosion carried towards Hiei, but he shielded his face and pushed upwards into the air. As the flames subsided, Hiei flew down to meet Kitkit head-on. He punched…and she caught his fist in an iron-hard grip, her fist aflame.

"Nice try," she said with a smirk.

There was a flash of fire and the booming sound of a small explosion, and Hiei fell through the air, his body surrounded by Kitkit's flames. At the last second, he flipped and managed to land safely, and the flames subsided. His clothes had ripped too, and he also became the victim of many scratches and burns. He glared at Kitkit, panting.

Catalyn could only stare in shock. Hiei and Kurama's most powerful techniques had been in vain. Kitkit was totally invincible! There was absolutely no way this could be true, but the evidence was right there in front of her. Was there any way this could work out?

"Are you just going to stand there wetting your pants?" Kitkit taunted her. "Are you, you little worthless b----?"

That completely did it. Catalyn launched into her five specialty techniques, one after the other, never pausing in between to catch her breath or to give Kitkit time to recover. But in her rage, she failed to see that this whole time, Kitkit was easily keeping up with her. She'd blocked every single blow and had taken them all without giving an inch. It was as if she couldn't even feel them. Kurama was yelling for her to stop, that Kitkit was toying with her and that she'd be killed at this rate, but she was paying him no attention.

Then, just before her fifth technique was completed, Kitkit found her perfect opening. She pushed a flaming palm onto Catalyn's stomach and shoved her into the air. It was as if her whole body was on fire from an everlasting flame. Every inch of her body, inside and out, exploded with agony. "AAAAAHHHH!" Then Kitkit punched her hard, and she fell to the ground. The exploding pain stopped, but a burning sensation remained. She coughed up blood, choking and wheezing.

Kurama yelled, "Catalyn!" and tried to run towards her, but Kitkit sent over an explosive blast of fire and he was blasted back. Then explosion kept going until it reached Hiei, and both boys were blasted far away from her.

Catalyn tried to get up, but something above her burned terribly and she fell back down. All around her, wherever she tried to go, she felt a searing heat. She was trapped.

"You can't fight off these heat waves of mine," Kitkit said matter-of-factly. "You can try to escape, but look what will happen. And if the boys try to get close, they'll be blasted back again. So now you'll just sit tight and watch your friends die because of your stupidity."

Catalyn looked in the direction Kitkit was pointing, and saw that Yusuke and Kuwabara were still fighting Kashi.

"Kashi can't use explosive flames like I can just yet," Kitkit said with a short laugh, "but her flames are becoming almost as destructive as mine. Of course, manipulating heat will result in a stronger attack, but her flames will work almost as well. She's quite the prodigy. Now watch how she'll finish them off."

Catalyn stared, the shock numbing her pain, analyzing the situation. Kashi was grinning wickedly, laughing at the boys for being so weak. Now that Catalyn thought about it, she grinned exactly like her mother did.

"This was awesome entertainment," Kashi said, "But I'm starting to get bored." Catalyn could see that Kashi was getting tired. It would have been the perfect opportunity to finish her off, but Yusuke and Kuwabara had much less energy left.

Still, Yusuke still had enough to launch one last spirit gun. He fired it, and Kashi sent out some flames to meet it. There was an explosion, and Kashi emerged unscathed.

"Damn it all," Yusuke muttered. Kuwabara made a sort of groaning noise.

Kashi sighed heavily. "I guess that's it, then," she said. "You guys have got nothing more to give. You're all out of energy." Then, in a singsong voice that sounded exactly like her mother's, she said, "Lights out." And flames exploded around them.

Yusuke and Kuwabara cried out, but it didn't last long. They hit the ground, their bodies burned in different places. Their eyes were closed, and they didn't move. As good as dead.

Catalyn let out a dry sob, fighting back the tears stinging her eyes. She tried to look away, but the sight of their bodies kept her gaze riveted to the spot. All because she'd dragged them along…

"NOOOOO!"

Kashi sighed again. "Too bad. I kind of liked them." Then she grinned at Kitkit. "Happy now, Mother?"

"Delighted," Kitkit answered with that same grin and tone of voice. "Now, take their corpses inside. The sight of them will distract me."

Kashi nodded. Then she began to drag the boys' bodies into the house.

Catalyn let out another choked sob. As much as she tried, she could stop herself. It was all her fault…she dragged them into this with her…it was all her fault…

Then she noticed that both Kurama and Hiei seemed to have reached a newfound level of power. Kurama was gone…replaced by the silver-haired, white-clothed, legendary bandit Youko Kurama. She stared in shock, blinking back her tears. Hiei's arm was glowing with flames again. _He can't release a second dragon, _she thought worriedly. _He'll hurt himself!_

But he didn't release it, even though he came very close to it. He charged for Kitkit and threw a huge punch at her. She blocked it with both flaming hands, and then tossed him back. Youko Kurama came up to meet her, and then the two of them were covered in smoke so that no one could see what was going on.

Hiei landed not too far off from Catalyn. She tried to get up, but the pain reminded her that the heat waves still had her trapped. "Are you okay?" she asked him tearfully. As much as she usually hated the runt, she couldn't help being emotional now. She'd already lost two friends. If she lost another… She couldn't bear it if she saw any more deaths.

He looked at her, frowning as usual, but she knew he was tired. "Hn. Aren't you one to talk," he said. "Look where your carelessness got you."

The comment stung, but she was filled with regret all the same. Then the smoke cleared, and Youko Kurama landed near them, glaring at Kitkit. Some sort of tree trunk stood smouldering next to the cat demon, and she was grinning. "Nice try, Youko," she said sarcastically. "As if a sinning tree would really work against me." Catalyn didn't know what a sinning tree was, but it had to be something powerful for Youko Kurama to use it. Then Kitkit turned on Hiei. "And if your first black dragon didn't work, how can you expect half of one to?"

Youko Kurama and Hiei both glared, but they could no longer move. Kitkit had caged them as well in her heat wave traps.

"Now," Kitkit said, looking at Catalyn with a sinister smile. "Back to business. You'll be the first to die, since you're the most useless of the group. You didn't even try! You were so pathetic I almost felt sorry for you."

She didn't even try to find words to retort with. Kitkit was absolutely right, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Please," Catalyn begged her suddenly. "Just answer me one thing."

Kitkit's look seemed to soften, but so slightly she wasn't even sure it happened. "Ah, why not? It can't hurt now," she said. "Shoot."

So she asked, "Why me? Why? Why did you decide to make me a demon? You haven't properly explained it yet, and if I can't get rid of this curse, I'd at least like to know why I deserved it. Please, answer me."

Kitkit grinned. "Fine, fine, I'll tell you, if you insist," she said. "I was roaming the human world – for the fun of it, you see – when a human found me. He was very, very powerful, and he would not allow me to roam his world. He caught me by surprise, since normal humans didn't have the power to see me, and he tried to kill me. He nearly did do it that day, and I was forced to assume the form of a cat to keep myself alive. I wandered on the brink of death, until I found shelter. I'd never hated humans more than that day in my life. So I decided that once I had regained all my powers and was healthy again, I'd vent my anger on you, the first human I met in cat form. That way, at least someone would be able to feel the hatred I felt upon nearly being killed."

"But I nursed you back to health!" Catalyn protested. "I care for you! Not all humans are bad!"

Kitkit shrugged. "Oh well, you're cursed now and that's that. And you're definitely too weak to deserve being freed."

"You're despicable," Youko Kurama snarled. And maybe Catalyn was imagining things again, but Hiei looked angrier too…

Then Kitkit declared, "Well, I've answered your question, just like you asked. Now you're going to die."

Catalyn instinctively brought her arms up over her face to shield herself, but she knew that now it was too late. If Kitkit really wanted to kill her, there was nothing she could do. Never before had she felt so weak, but this was the end. She started to close her eyes.

"DIE!" Kitkit yelled, and an explosive heat wave charged for her. And then –

Youko Kurama and Hiei charged up to meet the attack, having broken free of their traps. As they collided with the heat wave, their auras blazing, she thought she saw, in a flash of light, Youko Kurama turning back into his human form. Then they were obliterated right before her eyes.

Catalyn screamed.

They hit the ground near Kitkit. She licked her lips. "One more to go."


	23. Chapter 23

Alrighty, here comes the second-to-last chapter of The Feline Curse! Gah! I can't believe I'm really almost done...it's pretty amazing. I can't believe so many people enjoyed this fic. It makes me feel so happy and warm and fuzzy inside! "It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside..." (from Elton John's Your Song) So yeah. Thanks so much!

Thank you's:  
TwitchyEars007: Yayness! I'm really happy my descriptions enabled you to picture everything. That's something I always try to aim for, so I'm glad it worked!  
4-is-lovely: Yeah, breathing water really doesn't work. Though once I could have sworn I was breathing in my swimming pool...but that's besides the point.  
Vitanie Tora: What a wonderful suggestion! Actually, when I first wrote that part in quiz format, I was pretty shocked with myself...I even made myself cry, how pathetic is that?  
Angelkitsune-Naomi: You'll be happy to know that I did super-type this chapter! So I apologize if there are any stupid mistakes. And as soon as I saw I fifth review, update time! Enjoy this one!  
Ayane Sakurai: Thank you very much for your many and wonderful reviews. Seriously, even if you don't say much, it still means a lot to me because I know that someone is at least taking the time to tell me they enjoy my fic! I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse. Five reviews to update! Hang on everyone, we're almost there!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE – INNER STRENGTH

Kurama and Hiei's bodies fell to the ground in front of Kitkit, about a meter apart. Neither of them moved.

_Not again, _Catalyn thought in despair, tears falling down her cheeks like waterfalls. _Not again… Not again…_

Kitkit stepped forward, leaving the bodies behind her. "Yes, go on and cry," she said. "Cry because you know it's your own miserable fault. You were stupid enough to act in anger and get caught. And they were foolish enough to think that they could keep you from getting killed! They've only delayed that time, and it's all in vain. All thanks to you."

_No, _she thought desperately. _They can't be dead…not them… Why did this have to happen? They didn't deserve to die… It's all my fault…my fault… Why? Why me? Why did I have to be so stupid? After all my sensei taught me…and I went and broke his rule…I let her get to me…again… Oh, sensei, I've failed you… I wasn't a worthy student after all… I couldn't save my friends… I was the weakest link… Why do I deserve to live longer than them? Why? Oh, Kurama…Hiei…I'm so sorry…Please don't…_

"It's all your fault," Kitkit continued to taunt. "It's your fault, no matter which way you look at it. Out of the five, you were the weakest. Why the hell do you deserve to live the longest?" Catalyn sobbed at that, not saying anything. "Well?" she demanded. "ANSWER ME!" But she still couldn't speak. "So, you know just how worthless you are?" Kitkit said. "Good. And for admitting it, maybe I'll let you die painlessly. Still, torturing you would give you more time to regret the things you've done. I like that idea better."

The cage of heat waves closed in on Catalyn, and she felt her clothes rip and her skin burn. "I'm sorry!" she wailed as the pain grew and she closed her eyes. _Yusuke and Kuwabara fought Kashi so that they could come to help me. They really cared, even though I found them both annoying. Hiei, well, he might have been in the fight for his own interests…maybe he didn't want to protect me, just show off to me of how much a loser I was, that baka… And…Kurama. He was always so nice to me, so kind and considerate…He kept me company while I was stuck in bed healing, did everything he could for me…and I couldn't repay him…Sensei, I'm sorry I couldn't be a better student…I'm sorry you ever had to put up with me._

That's when she heard it. It could have been a figment of a dying girl's imagination, but she heard the boys' voices in her head, and her sensei's and Kashi's as well. Their grinning images formed in her mind.

"Come on, Catalyn, don't stop now," Yusuke said. "You didn't kick any ass yet!"

"Yeah!" Kuwabara joined in. "There's no way a beautiful girl like you isn't better than an ugly thing like her!"

Kashi nodded in agreement. "Don't let these boys jerk you around, come on!"

"I'm sorry," Catalyn told them sadly. "I'm sorry for being such a burden this whole time."

"Hn," Hiei said. "You're too cowardly to show your potential."

Kurama smiled the same smile that had always made her feel better. "We know you can accomplish this," he said. "You just have to find the inner strength to believe in yourself."

They all disappeared, leaving only her sensei behind. Then everyone's mocking laughter echoed all around her: the martial arts students who said she couldn't, the Ten, and above them all, Kitkit.

"Hear that?" her sensei asked her. "You've endured mockeries ever since you entered the school. Even now that you've left, the laughter still continues. But did you ever give in? Never. You always kept fighting for what you believed in. Don't throw it all away now. Not when you've done so much to get this far."

Catalyn was struck with a stunning revelation. "You're right," she whispered. Louder: "You're right!" The laughter vanished, and so did her sensei, but not before giving her one last smile. "I can do this," she said, almost in awe of herself. "I _will_ do this!"

At these words, her eyes snapped open and she vaguely realized that she'd been shouting aloud again. The cage of heat that Kitkit had trapped her with was completely gone. Her aura was circling her in a blazing swirl of light, and she felt surprisingly neutral. There was no sadness, no rage, no happiness, no nothing, not even surprise for the huge amount of dormant power she'd just released. All she could feel was pure purpose.

She began walking towards Kitkit, who looked genuinely surprised. Catalyn knew the difference in their powers was too great, but she kept walking forward. It wasn't so great that she couldn't lay a scratch on her. Her eyes were filled with determination. And she continued to walk.

Kitkit's look of surprise relaxed slightly as Catalyn continued. _So she did it, _she thought. _She's raised her powers to their 100 potential. A little prodding was sure to bring it out. _She frowned, her ears twitching as she tried to figure out the stats. _So she'll be able to do it after all, as long as she doesn't hold back. And she knows her limits well, so she'll be able to have enough left over… Very well. I get it now. She'll make an excellent fighter. Her sensei will be proud._ As Catalyn drew closer, so close that she was almost upon her, Kitkit let out a small smile.

Catalyn launched into her attacks. She charged forward, pulling into a reiki-filled punch. Kitkit moved to dodge. Acting on a spur of the moment, Catalyn's instincts told her where to follow, and she followed the dodge to make contact. At the last second, she pulled out of her punch and delivered a smashing kick instead. Hands flaming, Kitkit grabbed her foot. Catalyn jumped and flipped her hands to the ground. Then, using her tail for balance, she swung into a full 360, kicking out in the splits and freeing her foot. Judging by Kitkit's flaming arms and legs, Catalyn knew she would not get her there. Instead, she knew exactly where to aim. She just needed the right strategy.

She began a new series of punches, with Kitkit either dodging or blocking each one. But that didn't matter. Catalyn was on the offensive. Kitkit did the same and started punching back. But Catalyn hardly felt the blows; they healed themselves almost immediately after contact. It was as if her aura was shielding her from the pain. Then she realized with a start the full power of her new aura. She could sense healing powers!

Amazed as she was, it didn't show in her moves. Catalyn continued to fight back, switching into a defensive offensive style, using reiki to reflect Kitkit's attacks and to keep attacking as well. Then she launched into the offensive again, adding kicks and flips with the punches in an unpredictable, never-repeating pattern. It was starting to work.

Kitkit was smiling, but Catalyn paid no attention to this. She had found her opening. She flipped into the air, freezing Kitkit's arms and legs into difficult positions to block another strike. Her fist glowed more brightly than ever as she put all she had into one last punch. She brought her arm back as she spun into position. "HAAAAA!" she yelled, and her fist closed in.

"Nice job," Kitkit muttered as she moved to block it, but it was too late. Catalyn's fist had made contact exactly where she was aiming for, smacking Kitkit right in the forehead. She was pushed back and into the air, but she caught herself quickly with her tail. She stood, brushing herself off. "You won," she said simply. There was a small drip of blood on her forehead.

All of Catalyn's senses came back at those two words as she let go of all the power she'd used an instant ago. She fell to her knees in relief, breathing hard. _I've done it…I've won…_

Kitkit walked towards the house, wiping her forehead. "Come inside when you're done," she said as she opened the door. "Yusuke and Kuwabara are fine. Their minor injuries are being healed right now."

"WHAT?" Catalyn yelled, her voice raspy and her head snapping up. "They're _alive_?"

Kitkit nodded. "They were just hurt enough to be knocked out. Kashi couldn't have killed them. She doesn't have the will of a killer. Still, she did want to give you some motivation." Then she turned and entered the house, closing the door behind her.

Catalyn felt tears of joy stinging her eyes. _They're alive! Oh, thank the heavens!_ Then the tears stopped, and she was struck with a sudden horror. _Kurama! Hiei!_ Somehow she found the strength in her wobbling legs to sprint over to them and she collapsed to her knees between their bodies. She reached out on either side to feel their pulses and heartbeats. They weren't dead…yet. But their heartbeats were slowing. They needed help, and fast. Catalyn's voice was almost gone, and she had no strength left to move. The battle had exhausted her completely. But she knew that if she didn't get help soon, they'd die for real.

That's when she remembered. Kurama had told her about how Kuwabara gave Yusuke an aura transfusion once to save his life. She could do the same with Kurama and Hiei! Her aura was partially demonic anyways. It would be able to save them!

She placed a hand on each of their hearts, preparing herself. She looked excitedly into her last reserves of aura, and her heart plummeted like the Tower of Terror.

She only had enough to save one of them!

Catalyn stared down at her hands in shock and despair. How could this be happening, now of all times? Her brain worked furiously, trying to find another way. She tried to yell for help, but her voice was too hoarse. She tried to stand, but she fell right back down again. Even crawling was out of the question. She took a deep breath and accepted the truth. She could only save one. But who should she save?

The answer jumped into her mind right away: _Kurama_. Of course it should be Kurama. He'd done more for her than the rest of the guys put together. As for Hiei, he'd never done more than hurt and insult her and make her off as weak. He was such an arrogant jerk! There was no reason to choose him over Kurama. Catalyn put her hands on his chest to begin the transfusion. Then she stopped.

She looked back at Hiei, her mind filling with flashbacks. He had been the one who saved her from the vampire demon so long ago. But then he'd gotten her worked up, making her faint. But he _had_ saved her. And then he had gone on to beat her in their first training battle, and knocked her out afterwards. And then Kurama told her about his little sister...and so she knew Hiei was, if only a teensy bit, compassionate. But then…when he and Yusuke had been captured, she had finally agreed with Kurama to go save him… And then when Yami was about to kill her, Hiei stepped in, saving her life. That was the second time he'd saved her life…but she never wanted to admit it because of all the times he was mean to her. And then now…sure, he was in it for his own interests, but he had definitely sacrificed himself for her along with Kurama. Again, he'd saved her life. Sure, she never wanted to admit it. She just wanted herself to believe that Hiei was mean and didn't care about anyone else. But that wasn't true, and she realized now how wrong she was about him. Sure, this was his true personality, but she wondered if his reputation had anything to do with his attitude as well. Either way, she'd finally come to her conclusion about the little runt: he was definitely rude by nature, but he also worked hard to protect his friends. And for that, he deserved her respect. So, finally, she made her final impression of him. And she did respect him.

So it was decided. Catalyn couldn't let him die after all he'd done. But then she realized that she just couldn't choose Hiei over Kurama. Sure, Hiei deserved her respect for all he'd done and didn't deserve to die, but did Kurama deserve to die over Hiei after being so kind to her? She couldn't bear to choose Hiei over Kurama, especially since Kurama has become like a best friend to her. Kurama had done so much for her as well, and she couldn't choose anyone in the world over him. She realized now that she'd been crushing on him this whole time, and she truly cared about him. So, having reached that conclusion, you couldn't let him die. But that would mean choosing him over Hiei. She couldn't do that now that she truly understood and respected him. But there was also no way she was choosing Hiei over Kurama. What could she do?

Catalyn felt their heartbeats again. They had nearly stopped, and she knew that if she kept sitting there debating, they'd both die anyways. She had to make her decision. She sighed, tears falling down again because she knew that either way, she'd never come to a decent conclusion. _They've both done so much for me, _she thought with remorse. _If I let them die, I won't deserve to live… They deserve life so much more than I do…_

Then it hit her. She only had enough aura left for one of them because she was still saving the rest for herself. But if she emptied her body of all her remaining aura, both boys would be able to live! So what if it amounted to her suicide? It was a sacrifice. It was thanks to them that she'd been able to accomplish her task.

Her mind was made up. She placed a palm on each of their chests, felt their stopping heartbeats, and took a deep breath. "Thank you," she murmured, closing her eyes to focus better. "Thank you for everything."

Catalyn began to transfer her aura. She was giving almost everything, and their heartbeats still weren't stabilizing. The last bits of her aura were coming out, and it was taking every last ounce of will to keep going. As she was giving the last of her reserves away, she realized in horror that it would not be enough.

_No, _she thought desperately. _I won't let you die! Not after all you've done for me! I can't!_

And suddenly she was filled with fresh power. Deep inside of her, there had still been some aura left. At this rate, there would be enough for all three of them. She just kept pouring out aura, in case it wasn't enough. Finally she stopped, panting hard. She felt for their heartbeats, her own heart stopping in anxiety. Then…

They stabilized!

Catalyn practically fell over in relief. _Oh gosh…it worked…_ she thought weakly. She wanted to smile, but she was too weak for even that. Then she remembered that Kitkit had told her to come inside once she'd finished. _She knew all along what would happen,_ she realized. _Maybe her intentions were good after all._ With great difficulty, she somehow managed to drag herself to the door. Just before she reached it, the door opened and there stood Kashi, looking frazzled.

"My mother just told me what she left you to do," she said with a pant. "Are they –?" Catalyn nodded in reply. "I can't believe she did that!" exclaimed Kashi angrily, acting as a crutch to help Catalyn into the house. "I never thought she'd go that far…ah, here you go."

She had brought her to a room filled with comfortable-looking chairs and a nice bed. At the side of the bed, Catalyn let go of Kashi and let herself fall into the warm mattress. It was softer than anything she'd ever felt before. "Thanks," she murmured, and was asleep in an instant.

-A day and a half later-

When she woke up, Catalyn knew something was different. Someone had changed her into fresh pyjamas. Sunshine was streaming through a window, and she knew a lot of time had passed. But that wasn't what was different. _My arms, _she thought suddenly. She sat bolt upright, staring in shock at her arms. The bandages were off…and the scars were gone! The curse had been lifted! She felt the sides of her head, where her ears should have been, but there was nothing. She felt higher and discovered that the cat ears still remained. Her tail swished and she knew. The curse was gone, but she was still a demon.

"I didn't want to make you human again just yet," said a nearby voice.

Catalyn looked around and suddenly realized that Kitkit, Kashi, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama were all in the room, sitting on the couches and watching her.

Kashi rushed over to her bedside. "Gosh, but you really like to sleep, Catalyn!" she exclaimed. "It's been a day and a half!"

Catalyn wiped her eyes to get rid of the last of her grogginess. Kurama was beaming at her. "Kashi told us how you saved our lives," he said, indicating Hiei, who responded with a "Hn." "Thank you," he added, "from the both of us." "Hn."

"You know," Catalyn said, "I should be thanking you. You gave me the motivation I needed." She looked at Kitkit, who was laughing silently. "Unless you let me…?"

Kitkit shook her head. "Nah, I'm not that mean," she said. "I just wanted to see your potential and have you put it to good use."

That was when Kashi glared at her mother, and it seemed like both women were on fire. "You didn't have to make her try and kill herself, though!" she yelled. "That was too much!"

"She's alive, isn't she?" Kitkit laughed.

But now the four spirit detectives and Catalyn were staring them down. "You owe us an explanation," Yusuke said.

Kitkit nodded. "Why not have the master of this plan explain himself?" She flung open the door, grinning from ear to ear, for Catalyn's sensei had just walked into the room.


	24. Chapter 24

YES! We've finally made it! This is the final chapter (including an epilogue) of The Feline Curse! It's been quite a long time, but on the bright side, I got to finish this series before school started up again! w00t! Go me! (Actually, I start school tomorrow...) I had a pretty hectic week last week, so I'm sorry for not updating sooner, I kind of forgot about checking my reviews.

Thank you's:  
TheSoulsDemise: I'm glad you liked this chapter; hope you like this one too!  
Angelkitsune-Naomi: I'm so sorry for neglecting you! I'm going to try to get back on track now, though it might be a bit difficult with school starting and everything...I hope you'll forgive me! Thank you so so much for supporting me through to the end, I really appreciate it!  
4-is-lovely: Yeah, it hasn't happened to me since then either...no, wait, I think it happened another time too...oh dear.  
Vitanie Tora: Actually, I never killed off Catalyn's sensei. He just...disappeared. Explanations are all in this chapter. I have another thing to tell you, but that won't be till the end of the chapter, because it's a bit of a spoiler.  
BluesDaughter: Thanks very much! I was hoping to surprise people with this!

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH, just The Feline Curse.

All right! Here's the last chapter plus epilogue!

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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – A NEW BEGINNING

Catalyn gasped as her sensei entered the room. "Sensei!" she almost shrieked.

He chuckled, smiling at her. "It's me," he said. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

She was cut off from answering by Kuwabara, who leaped up and pointed, exclaiming, "Hey, isn't that the old geezer we –"

_SMACK!_

Catalyn had leaped out of bed and smacked him hard across the face, leaving him to moan in pain. "Don't you dare call him that!" she snapped. "He deserves respect!"

"For what, almost killing us?" Yusuke chimed in with a frown.

She couldn't answer him. "Don't worry," her sensei said. "I'm here to explain myself. You can even bring me back with you to Lord Koenma for questioning if need be."

"There won't be any need," Catalyn said instantly, even though she knew after she spoke that there was no way the rest of the gang would agree to it. She sat back down and eagerly awaited his explanation.

He cleared his throat and began. "Well, I'm sure you remember the day when the spirit detective and his partner came to my house, where I'd been keeping Junsei for almost two years. Of course, I didn't want you to take her in for questioning and get her in trouble, so I framed myself and spun a tale by making Catalyn and Junsei out to be two different people. Then I fled and tried to transport myself further away. However, I was in a hurry and my transportation went badly wrong. I landed in the demon world by accident. That's where I met Kashi, who was traveling to hone her skills. I agreed to train her for a while.

"While training her, I discovered that Junsei had made an agreement with the spirit detectives to work with them to find Kitkit, who Kashi then revealed to me was her mother. This was indeed a surprising turn of events, but I realized that I could use this information to my advantage and help Junsei from afar. Without some other form of outside help, from what Kashi told me of her mother I knew she would not consent to removing the curse. So I planned things in stages.

"The first stage would be to build a strong trust with the boys. Junsei, you never had many friends. But friendship is a very important aspect of life. You need to learn to support others and to allow others to support you. So I met with the leader of the Ten, Zankoku, and also Yami and Cala. I requested that I wanted you killed, which they agreed to do by luring the spirit detectives to come fight them. Of course, I never planned for you to be too badly hurt. So I had Kashi step in. More than once, actually, but you never knew of that. Junsei, throughout these battles with the members of the Ten, you became stronger and created strong bonds with the spirit detectives. You did splendidly, despite the setbacks of the curse, and completed this stage as I expected.

"During that time, I was already setting the second stage. I had Kashi meet with her mother numerous times to negotiate the business of removing the curse. Then Kitkit requested I meet her in person, and give her my full plan. I did. I had a much simpler task in mind for you to complete, but Kitkit wouldn't hear of it. She was absolutely adamant that we use her idea. Since everything was set, all you now had to do was find Kitkit and complete her test. I had Kashi befriend you and act as your guide to lead you to her. Why don't you explain yourself, Kashi?"

Kashi nodded and stepped up to speak where everyone could get a clear view of her. "I followed sensei's orders and went to befriend you. I knew you'd have a task to complete once you reached the top, but I had no idea what it would incorporate. When I blocked Yusuke and Kuwabara from entering the fight, I was acting solely on my own instincts. And eventually I realized that Catalyn would need a little motivation if she wanted to pass the test. I think Yusuke and Kuwabara must have realized it too, because if they had truly used their resources against me, they could have won. Am I right in saying this?"

Yusuke nodded smugly. "Damn right," he said.

Kuwabara just looked dumbfounded, but he said, "Sure thing," in a confused voice.

Kashi continued, "So to finish them, I used an attack that would be strong enough to knock them out for a short while, but that was also easily treatable. During the time they were unconscious, with sensei's help we fixed their injuries. He left before they woke up, leaving me to explain what I'd done. However, I had no idea my mother wasn't going to be faking." She shot her mother a nasty look and received a grin in reply. "I never thought she'd try to kill Hiei and Kurama and then leave Catalyn to save them with the little power she had left. As soon as I found out, I ran out to help her, only to find that she'd accomplished it on her own, though at a great cost of energy."

Catalyn's sensei took over again. "After that, I healed your friends of their remaining injuries without them knowing. And then, while you were still asleep, Kitkit removed the curse, as promised. So all's well that ends well."

_No, _Catalyn thought. _Not just yet._ She had a question to ask. "Kitkit, why didn't you make me human again?"

Kashi and Kitkit didn't look at her, but her sensei met her eyes directly. "Catalyn, you have a choice to make."

_What now? _Catalyn thought, but she remained silent and let her sensei talk.

"You must choose – between Junsei and Catalyn. Between human and demon."

"Well, isn't that obvious?" she said. "I want to be human again. You know that. I want everything to go back to normal again."

Her sensei nodded in understanding. "But if you go back to normal, you'll lose more than you think," he said.

Catalyn stared at him. "I don't understand, sensei."

He explained, "If you lose all of your demonic appearances and powers, you will lose most of your fine-tuned senses. Your calculating abilities and your fighting skills will also see definite drops."

She saw no problem with that. "I'll just train harder to get them better again, that's all," she said.

But her sensei shook his head. "If you go back to being human, you will never see these people again. You'll lose the friendships you've gained. So think about it for a while before you make your choice."

The second-to-last sentence struck something deep inside her. Did she really want everything to go back to the way they used to be? Did she want to lose her new friendships, not to mention her bond with Kurama? Sure, she wanted to return to the martial arts school and be respected by the boys again. She wanted to see her parents again, too, more than anything else. She knew her sensei knew it too, but he also knew how strongly she valued her new friendships. The new friendships _he_ helped her gain. She couldn't just throw them away after all he'd done for her.

After a long, quiet debate, Catalyn had made up her mind. "I'll stay," she said finally, in a regretful voice. "Just as a cat demon, though."

"Not to worry," Kitkit said. "The fire powers are gone along with the curse. "

"Good choice," Kashi said with a grin. "You're the opposite of me."

But Catalyn was still sad about her choice. Still, she thanked Kitkit and Kashi for their help, and then left with the spirit detectives and her sensei to go back to the Spirit World.

-The next day, in Spirit World-

Catalyn's sensei stayed in Spirit World for a while, to talk with Koenma and to straighten things out for good. She just stayed quietly put in her room.

There was a knock on her door, and Kurama stepped in. Catalyn admittedly wasn't all that happy to see him. To begin with, she'd been expecting her sensei, and not only that, but Kurama had been to visit her a few times already but she was never in the mood to talk.

He sat next to her on her bed. "Catalyn," he began, "I don't mean to be pushy, but…"

"I'm okay," she told him tonelessly. "I just need some time."

"I'm sorry for the way things turned out," he said.

She turned to stare at him. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

He sighed. "I remember talking with you before we left to find Kitkit. You were so excited then. You couldn't wait to be human again. And now…"

Catalyn sighed, too, and looked away. "I didn't want to lose you," she said in a soft, shaky voice. "It means too much to me now. I don't want to lose you as a friend. I mean, sure, I really want to be normal and to be able to be with my parents again, but I – I just couldn't…I couldn't bring myself to do it."

Kurama pulled her into his embrace. "I understand," he said slowly. "And still, for some reason I was hoping you would choose this, even though I wanted you to be happy. And that's why… That's why I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Catalyn said, hugging him back. For some reason, she felt better knowing this. "You don't have to be. It's what I wanted too. I just need time to get used to the idea, that's all." She pulled away and wiped a tear out of her eye, managing a small smile. "Thanks for being here."

"You're welcome," he replied. He stood up. "Would you like me to bring you some tea?"

"That'd be great," she said, and he smiled and left the room.

Shortly after he left, her sensei entered the room to find her once again staring at the floor.

"Koenma's given you permission, you know," he said.

"That's nice," she replied dully. Then she looked up at him pleadingly. "Will you come with me? Am I doing the right thing?"

He smiled and hugged her tightly. "The answer to both questions," he said, "is yes."

-The next day, in Ningenkai-

Mrs Muzai looked wistfully out the window, having just put down the phone. She was able to fight back her tears, but her breaths came in shuddering sighs. Mr Muzai walked into the room and immediately noted his wife's tension. He asked, and she explained. His reaction was a mirrored image of hers.

"So that's it, then?" he said, though it really didn't sound like a question. "She's no longer there."

"I'm so worried about her," Mrs Muzai said in a trembling voice. "Why hasn't she come home yet?"

There was a knock on the door. Mr Muzai went to answer it. His eyes opened wide. "Come here, honey," he said hoarsely, his voice suddenly gone. She came. They looked upon the person at the door.

It was a girl of fifteen, with brown cat ears and a tail sticking out from the rear. Her eyes were yellow, but her amber hair was the same that it had always been. The face was weary-looking, uncertain and unrecognizable, yet they knew her immediately.

The girl spoke, but her voice was shaky, as if she was about to cry but was struggling desperately not to. "Mom…Dad…it's me…"

And then the tears came out, but at the same time, her parents burst into tears as well. "Junsei!" they exclaimed, and without another moment's hesitation, they flung themselves into each other's arms, weeping with joy.

The old man standing on the sidewalk in front of the house smiled with satisfaction. They had not forgotten her, and they had not shunned her for who she'd become. They still loved her, and always would love her, for who she was: their beloved daughter.

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EPILOGUE

Catalyn left her parents' home after a week. During her stay, she told them everything. The week was spent in bonding time, doing fun things together. But afterwards, she was obliged to return to Spirit World. Her parents developed a great respect for her sensei, who moved back into his little log cabin near Yusuke's hometown. He occasionally visited Catalyn in Spirit World and also kept in touch with her parents, acting as a mediator between them since she couldn't leave Spirit World very often. When she did visit Ningenkai, she had to be extremely careful to hide her ears and tail, but whenever she was with her parents, she was known by her original name: Junsei Muzai. Catalyn began to work under Koenma's employ and helped Kurama and the rest of the gang with their missions. Everything had worked out for her. She still had her parents, plus the new amazing friends she'd made. There was never a dull moment with the gang, and even though Hiei still seemed to hate her and she sometimes hated him too, she respected him. She still had to give Kuwabara the occasional slap for being stupid and had to put up with Yusuke's sarcasm. But she also started spending much more time with Kurama, and the two's bond only strengthened from there. Her powers changed greatly when she finally realized her true potential. She was able to heal her friends' injuries if they were hurt in the middle of a battle, and she still kicked butt! Now, she was truly happy.

THE END

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And we are done! So Vitanie Tora, here's my final point: I didn't want to do a huge thing with Kurama and Catalyn, as interesting as that would be. I don't like massive drastic changes, you see, I like to build on things. So I figured Catalyn and Kurama should have the time to build a close relationship. I hope you understand my reasoning.

Okay, now it's really done! It's hard to believe that my series is actually over already...it seems like it went by so fast, even though it really didn't. Thanks again to all my reviewers: those that got this story going, and those that pushed me to the end! I am forever greatful.

Now, I have one final thing to say. I do have a sort of sequel series planned, one that I've had the idea for for an extremely long time (two years, to be precise), and if you're interested and let me know, I would like to put it up on fanfiction. Here, I'll tell you a little bit about it: In this series, Catalyn is no longer the main character, but she is present, since now she works with the spirit detectives and joins them in their adventures. This new main character is really different in a sense, because she has no spiritual powers whatsoever and somehow gets herself caught up in the spirit detectives' adventures. Plus there's a really interesting twist... But I can't say. Anyways, please let me know if you want me to put the sequel up! Thanks again for everything!


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